CHESTERMERE – It took a lot of planning and hard work for organizers to put together the first ever Life Begins at 50 Expo in Chestermere. However, after seeing a large turnout and receiving lots of positive feedback, they’re saying it was all worth it.
Past Whitecappers president Maxine McKellar as well as current president Carollyne Hinde both said that seeing it work out successfully was rewarding in a number of ways.
“It was really great to see so many people come out and enjoys themselves,” Hinde said. “I’ve received many positive comments, and people are already asking if we’re going to do it next year.”
The expo ran from 9 a.m. until around 3 p.m. this past Saturday at the recreation centre. Participants were treated to a few guest speakers, before heading off to different seminars and workshops. They could attend short sessions about anything from healthy eating habits and exercise, to how to use a digital camera, to how to play bocce ball.
McKellar said that she was pleased to see the number of registrants increase in the week before the expo, and said that almost 200 people showed up.
“We had an amazing turnout, I’m so impressed,” she said. “It felt really good to be able to provide this for people in the community and surround area.”
McKellar said they were lucky to get the grant funding and donations from local businesses and be able to put it all together.
“It was a bit of an uphill battle for a while, but in the end it all fell together and worked out,” she said. “The week prior we only had 59 people signed up, so we were panicking, but we had a ton of last minute registrations and everything came together.”
McKellar said that she thinks the main benefit of the expo was that it provided a social experience for local seniors. She also said that it gave them a good chance to see what’s out there for them to do besides what they do in their normal routine.
“I think it was good for everyone to be able to find out what kind of things they can do to keep active, even if they’re over 50,” she said. ”
McKellar said that over half of the participants weren’t Whitecappers members, and that many didn’t realize the group existed in Chestermere at all.
“A lot of people told me how impressed they were with the facility we have,” she said. “Most people didn’t even know it was here.
“We have a beautiful facility so we’re glad we were able to invite people in to see it and enjoy it.”
The Chestermere Whitecappers group accepts members that are age 50 or older. McKellar said that their average age is around 72, but there are a few people who are under 60, and even a few very active members who are over 90.
“We have three couples who have been married for over 60 years,” she said. “It’s a fantastic group, we have lots of members and most are very bright and active.
“They are some of the community’s best volunteers.”
McKellar said that it was a lot of work to put the expo together because they had to apply for the grants, gather donations and do all of the overall planning.
“We’re not sure if we can do it the same way next year,” she said. “We may be able to do a small version of it, but overall we’re happy we were able to put it on and have it be a success.”
