By Dave Simmons
Although it doesn’t feel as though winter is approaching anytime soon, we should be thinking ahead and planning a pastime or activity for those long, darker months ahead.
Westside Seniors Citizen’s Activity Centre is conveniently located at 3116, Old Okanagan Highway next to the Fire Hall in West Kelowna and hosts some 30 activities on a regular scheduled basis.
Membership is $20 per year if you are at least 50 years of age and joining entitles you to vote and to participate in any of these activities which include bridge, whist, cribbage, ceramics, choir, pool/snooker, carpet bowling, floor curling, line dancing, woodcarving, clogging, keep fit etc.
Every Tuesday staring at 1:30 p.m. there is a social gathering, usually with entertainment, and refreshments. Every third Tuesday in the month there is a hamburger day with hamburgers or hot dogs, salad, potato chips and all the fixings followed by coffee, tea and ice cream for only $3 per person and non-members are also welcome.
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The Westside Senior’s Activity Centre also hosts the only Bingo night in West Kelowna on Wednesday evenings starting at 6:45 p.m. Bingo has been part of the program for over 25 years and the original automated scoring equipment is starting to fail and is about to be replaced by new digital scoreboards. Come on down and play bingo, on Wednesday’s, and watch the transformation happening in the hall.
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There will be a pancake breakfast in the Westside Senior Activity Centre on Sunday Oct. 22 between 8 and 11 a.m. You will be treated to juice tea or coffee, scrambled eggs, pancakes, ham and hash browns for only $4 per person. Everyone is very welcome so please bring your friends for some good food, good conversation and a good time.
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If you are new to retirement you will be going through a significant change in routine and may wonder how you can possibly fill all the extra time available to you since stopping work. You may already have considered volunteering for some worthy cause and this can act as a wonderful placebo for the loss of your working routine and the daily contact with your co-workers.
The changes you go through when you retire are very real, and can be disconcerting for some people.
If you haven’t already committed some of your free time to a worthy cause, you may consider serving on the board, or just helping out, at the Westside Senior Citizen’s Service Association. You will be welcomed with open arms if you decide to spend just a few hours a month helping other seniors enjoy our activity centre and all it has to offer. It is very rewarding and I can personally recommend it.
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If you would like more information about the Westside Seniors Activity centre visit the website at http://www.districtofwestkelowna.ca/Facilities/Facility/Details/West-Kelowna-Seniors-Centre-127
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Events and entertainment for the month of October, at the Westside Seniors Activity Centre will be as follows:
October 3 Jim Ripley Talk on bus tour
October 10 Bryan Faegan Guitar and vocals
October 17 Hamburger Day Non-Members welcome $3 each
October 22 Pancake Breakfast Non-Members welcome $4 each
October 24 Valley Gentlemen Oldies but Goodies
October 31 Dan Summers Guitar and vocals
Dave Simmons is the President of the Westside Senior Citizen’s Service Association