The Highland County Senior Citizens Center is inviting the community to its Healthy Halloween Senior Expo to be held Tuesday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 185 Muntz St. in Hillsboro.
The event will include games, food, music, prizes and information for seniors provided by representatives from local businesses. Nursing facilities, banks and insurance companies will be among the businesses participating in the event.
The center was established in 1970, and it is a non-profit organization that works to promote the wellness of its members through recreational, educational and social opportunities. This year marks the 10th year for the Healthy Halloween Senior Expo.
“It’s a really fun event, and we have a great turnout every year, and we’re really looking forward to it again this year,” said Mechell Karnes, executive director of the center. “Not only will the businesses be there with great information, we have free giveaways, Herb Day Radio will be there, and we’re also going to have free bingo at the end of the event.”
Most of the event will be held outdoors as a precaution for COVID, but indoor restrooms will be available.
Tournaments for billiards and Bunco (a dice game generally played with 12 or more players divided into groups of four) will be held throughout the day. As in past years, the expo will be holding a costume contest. “We want to invite people to dress up for the costume contest,” said Karnes. “We’ll have people from the local businesses serving as judges to vote on the favorite costumes, and there will be prizes for the costume contest winners.”
In addition to billiards and bunco, games of chair volleyball and cornhole will be available.
Each vendor at the event will also bring a pumpkin with attendees judging their favorite decorated pumpkins.
“It’s a free event, however people do need to bring some extra cash with them to purchase lunch,” said Karnes. Homemade noodles and steak sandwiches will be available.
“It’s a free event for the community, but the businesses participating do pay a booth fee, so that is the fundraising aspect because the senior center is not government funded,” said Karnes.
More than 45 local businesses have been invited to participate, but Karnes said there is room for more. “If someone is interested they can definitely contact me, and we can get them information about a booth,” she said.
Attendees are encouraged to bring rolls of paper towels in exchange for raffle tickets. “For every roll of paper towels they get an extra ticket to throw into the pot to win more prizes,” said Karnes. “That’s just another way they can win more prizes and also help out the senior center because we use a lot of paper towels at the center for our operation.”
Reach John Hackley at 937-402-2571.
