The Council on Aging’s PLAYERS Community Senior Center is the place to be as it continues to open up and add activities following a closure of more than a year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The center held a well-attended grand reopening on June 24 and attendance has steadily increased since then.
Program coordinator Nancy Walzer said seniors who regularly visit the center are “very excited” to be back.
“We had a grand reopening, and some of them were actually in tears because they hadn’t seen anybody for a year and a half,” she said. “So, they’re very excited to be back for the social aspect. Today, they were playing Wii Bowling, and you could hear the laughter. I walked by and a couple of people said, ‘Oh, it’s so good to be back.’”
Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 7, the center will be open four days a week: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
On Sept. 14, the center will begin offering lunches from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. There is a charge, and anyone who would like to buy lunch must first sign up.
The center’s calendar is a busy one with many fun activities, some of which are new this year.
Here’s a look at some of them:
Inside, there will be bingo, chair yoga, euchre card club, crochet, Dominoes with Jack, social bridge club, mahjongg, tai chi, a book club and more. There are special movie mornings, complete with freshly popped popcorn and candy.
Acrylic painting sessions are planned, with occasional visits from art instructors.
Outside, there will be porch shuffleboard, mini-putt, croquet and possibly horseshoes. Staff is also considering the creation of a gardening club.
“We’re starting a little pen-pal program where some of the seniors will be paired up with local elementary schools,” said center coordinator Alison Vitti. They will write back and forth or do cards or little crafts. So, it’s intergenerational.”
For Wii Bowlers, there is an added incentive to hone their skills. A tournament between teams from senior centers across the nation is planned for the fall.
Once again, the center will be hosting speakers, who will give diverse and interesting presentations. Some speakers already scheduled represent the Beaches Museum, the Turtle Patrol, local beekeepers and CruiseOne Travel. A captain in the U.S. Army Reserve will speak on the proper disposal of medications.
Another reason to visit the center is its parties.
“We’re doing a Jaguars kickoff party on one of the Thursdays coming up in September because we have a lot of local fans,” said Walzer.
There are birthday parties and centenarian luncheons for attendees age 90 and older. A Halloween costume party and Octoberfest are also in the works.
And if all this doesn’t keep seniors busy, the center has a lending library with books and DVDs, a variety of board and dice games and puzzles to solve.
Go to coasjc/ponte-vedra-center to see the calendar and learn more about classes, events, lunch menus and transportation for those who do not drive.
The center is located at 175 Landrum Lane, Ponte Vedra. The phone number is (904) 280-3233.
