Hoop dancer Zayden Abeyta from Nambe and Santa Clara Pueblos will perform Monday at Betty Ehart Senior as part of the 25th birthday celebration for the center. Courtesy photo
BY BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
LARSO
The Betty Ehart Senior Center will celebrate its 25th birthday on Monday, May 1. May 1 is also the kickoff to Older Americans Month and a day to celebrate National Workers.
The day will begin with a community resource fair and some craft booths, at 10 a.m. The day will include a FREE lunch for members 60 and over, (with current paperwork) live music and more. Lunch reservations are required by 9 a.m. and only dine-in spaces remain. The Lads and Lasses of Enchantment, an a cappella chorus will sing at 11:30 a.m. followed by Zayden Abeyta, a Native American Hoop Dancer at noon and live music from Ken Hendricks of Home Instead at 12:30 p.m.
The festivities will include cake and a raffle for prizes to raise funds for the Los Alamos Retired and Senior Center staff morale program. Tickets are just $1.00 each and many prizes are available. The fundraising continues with a $5.00 sale of their CommUNITY of Faith*Hope*Love t-shirts and green and gold lanyards for just $2.
“Movement is magic and motion is the potion,” said Executive Director, Bernadette Lauritzen. “The senior centers will promote their upcoming Matter of Balance classes, nutrition education and exercise classes.”
DVDs will be on sale for $10 and highlight classes from Loretta Stubbs, Natalie Smith and Jacci from High Mountain Wellbeing. Many of the DVDs show ways to do exercise both sitting and standing. The DVDs feature all local instructors and teachers will receive $5 of every purchase. Customers are asked to bring small bills to pay for items, as they are expecting a very busy day.
The centers are excited to offer free fruit samples from Velarde Farms as part of their New Mexico Grown program. The grant from the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department allows LARSO and many other senior centers across the state to eat local. The grant has allowed for local farmers to sell directly to senior centers benefitting locally sourced foods while enhancing the nutrition of seniors. Seniors must be 60 or older to receive the New Mexico Grown products.
If you have questions, please call the Betty Ehart Senior Center, (505) 662-8920.