The Battle Ground Senior Center relaunched its annual luncheon to celebrate the holidays on Dec. 13 at the Battle Ground Community Center.
Over 100 people and their relatives showed up to the event, happy to join their friends for the holidays again after the previous year’s celebration was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For about 40 people, it was the first time they attended the holiday celebration hosted by the senior center.
“I came out here because I have a lot of friends and to celebrate the festivities, especially Christmas,” said Arlene Weir, an attendant at the event. “I just started going (to the luncheons) this year, but it’s special that we’re starting to open up again. I’ve had all my shots, so I feel safe.”
The celebration started with the group reciting the Lord’s Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. It was followed by food, which attendees grabbed buffet-style, and a raffle closed out the festivities. Styrofoam tubs were made available for the guests so they could take home any leftover food, which included fried and grilled chicken, turkey and roast beef club sandwiches, fruit and desserts.
Jim Daley, president of the Battle Ground Senior Center, was happy to host another holiday celebration. Daley said the event is hosted by the Battle Ground Senior Citizens Inc. group, which formed in 1975.
“I can’t speak to past lunches, but we’ve been doing them for the past seven years,” he said.
Daley said that with the absence of the Meals on Wheels program, which served the seniors once a week, “many of the seniors filled that void by joining our senior citizens group.”
The Meals on Wheels program relocated to a space near the Padden Commercial Center last year.
“Once we got beyond the isolation, which many of the seniors experienced, they wanted to come out and join a social group,” Daley said.
He said he has enjoyed his time as president by helping the senior citizens find social activities, which he described as “gratifying.”
Battle Ground’s Deputy Mayor Philip Johnson was also in attendance.
“I started meeting with (the Battle Ground Senior Citizens Inc.) for the past year and a half,” Johnson said. “I’m 61, so I’m almost old enough. I’m their mascot. As you get older, the age goes up: since I’m 61, you’re not ‘old’ until you’re 75. When you’re 50, you’re not old until you’re 65.”
Johnson said he enjoys spending time with the seniors.
“They’re fun people and it’s nice to hang out with them,” said Johnson.
Besides the raffle, the organization handed out gift bags to all the seniors in attendance. Since more than 106 attended the event, Vice President Sharon Wodtke said the board members gave up their bags to other attendees so everyone could go home with a gift.
Each gift bag contained a variety of things like a coffee mug, globes, candy, homemade ornaments and notepads.
