How About Senior Citizens Day?

It's Kids' Day in Marinette with a variety of fun activities all over town.

In its second year, the special day includes nature projects, a kiddie carnival, story time at the library, crafts, face painting, free swimming and bowling, and a movie on Stephenson Island.

Coming on the heels of National Night Out on Stephenson Island, the Kids' Area at Waterfront Festival, and Family Recreation Day earlier this summer at Great Lakes Memorial Marina Park, these activities show our community does a good job taking care of kids.

Of course, there are also summer playground programs and many other daily opportunities for kids to engage in healthy activities. The YMCA, the DAR Boys' & Girls' Club and the Healthy Youth Coalition are just a few of the organizations that do an exceptional job providing programming for children.

What I'm not seeing is much in the way of community activities and opportunities for senior citizens, outside of the two senior centers.

Here's what the Menominee Senior Center offers. Marinette's has a downloadable newsletter.

The senior centers provide classes, opportunities to make new friends and even meals. If I recall correctly, Marinette High School offers lunch and entertainment for seniors on a designated day in fall. Of course, there are social service organizations that provide assistance in a variety of ways.

But wouldn't it be a good idea to show older area residents they are not forgotten with a special day, or even week?

Discounts at locally-owned stores, a health fair, seminars and workshops, entertainment, goody bags, and most important, intergenerational activities. The very organizations that serve kids could do more to involve seniors and strengthen the bonds between young and old. (There are scattered activities like this, usually with schools. I've seen some in action.)

Seniors in assisted living facilities, apartment omplexs or nursing homes are already getting some of these perks. In the past seven years, I've spent a fair amount of time with my mother, who has lived in both types of facilities. The staffs of those facilities do an outstanding job caring for their seniors.

But what about those seniors who live alone? Wouldn't it be a great idea to have a community-coordinated effort that focused on senior needs?

I'd like to see the entire community step up to the plate. It's not always about kids.