You never know what will be going on at the Lethbridge Senior’s Centre Organization until you take a look around.
You will see there is more to a senior’s life than Scrabble playing and quilt-making. Seniors today are active, innovative and creative, so the Lethbridge Senior Citizen’s Organization wants to keep providing and improving programming for them.
In addition to these popular senior’s activities, the Organization offers a variety of organizations and clubs.
Seniors can meet kindred spirits interested in jewelry making, a variety of different art groups, Tai Chi, an amateur ham radio club to karaoke singing, even a brand new Wii club and the always popular computer club.
Downstairs there is a fully equipped woodshop, where members create intricately designed toy trucks and cradles and even grandfather clocks and where Stephen Tuttle is restoring genuine eighteenth century cutlasses, one of which was even used in the War of 1812.
He knows his stuff.
“I’ve been interested in this subject since 1965, but I’ve only been restoring them for about three years,” said Tuttle, pointing out, so to speak, the different shapes of two different cutlasses, explaining how one of them is an officer’s blade because of it. He buys many of these blades on e-Bay and spends many hours lovingly restoring them.
He has been a member of the organization for seven years. You will get a chance to check out all of the activities during 
Senior’s Week, this week, culminating with the second annual LSCO Rocks the Block, featuring live music in the park from noon until 9 p.m. June 11 including a plethora of free, local live music beginning with local classic metal band Rex at noon, followed by classic rock bands Wheeler Dealer, The Chevelles, Hippodrome, Who’s Yer Daddy, blues rockers Texas Flood, Alter Ego and ending with modern rock band Double Jack at 8 p.m.
The Hibikiya Lethbridge Community Taiko Association will be playing 20 minute tweeners in between the acts while the next one sets up.
In addition to free live music, a beer garden and an array of vendors, it will be a lot of fun for the whole family.
Because the event attracted 700 people throughout the day last year and they received such positive feedback, they decided to do it again.
“Last year we had families with kids, teenagers and seniors,” observed Marcie Stork, Volunteer Coordinator of Fund Development for the Organization.
“It is something really unique for downtown — an outside festival. And we had a lot of really good feedback about it,” she said.
“ And it’s not going to rain. It’s supposed to be beautiful. So I’m keeping positive about it,” she said.
LSCO Rocks the Block has become one of the four big annual fund-raisers for the LSCO.
“ It keeps the programs running. And we want to keep on creating new programming for seniors with different interests so more people can become part of the centre,” she continued.
“Most of the volunteers who are running this event are members. They just took the event and ran with it,” she continued. There will be different faces, different bands and even Get R Done Taxi is offering rides to and from the event for $2.50 per person.
“So there is no excuse not to have a safe trip home,” she continued.
You can even do your grocery shopping there as Save -On Foods will have a booth there and will be donating all of the proceeds to the LSCO.
“It is going to be a big open house. Lots of our programs are setting up displays,” she continued.
“We make sure this is a fun, well-organized day for everybody. We wanted music that appeals to everyone and to bring community members here to see the Organization,” she continued. She is impressed by how well organized this year’s event is.
Everything is ready to go, all they need now is for people to show up.
“I think people would be very surprised to see the variety of activities here. They are such an energetic group,” she said.
“It is important for seniors to have active minds and bodies. It (the LSCO) reduces isolation and it is somewhere for people to go. There are fitness activities and educational classes. It is really important for seniors’ health for them to remain active. It involves the whole community.”
Stork has been busy co-ordinating a variety of different activities for Senior’s Week including a live auction of numerous items, some created by members as well as donated by local businesses. That takes place, June 7.
A big polka festival kicked things off on Saturday, June 4. There is also a western themed day featuring a spaghetti dinner on June 8.
