Krista Power is reminded every day that age is simply a number.
The marketing and program coordinator for the Thunder Bay 55-Plus Centre said she is inspired by the exuberance of many of the 600 visitors that the centre hosts on any given day.
“One of the things people often think about is aging as a negative thing instead of looking at the positive aspects,” Power said. “Staying healthy and being fit and having a community of friends is a great thing. Age is a state of mind.”
The centre is still looking to attract new faces and launched a five-day open house running from Sunday through Thursday to showcase the facility and the available offerings.
Open houses have proven in the past to be a significant driver for the centre’s attendance figures.
“We saw a big spike in our registration after we did our last open house in 2012, and it’s an opportunity for people to come out,” Power said.
“There’s no commitment and no cost. People often come through the door and are shocked when they see all the different activities and how busy it is and how young everybody is.”
The centre regularly runs an assortment of fitness and visual arts activities, along with general interest workshops. They also hold different daily drop-in activities and a multitude of card games as well as health and wellness services.
Some examples of these include badminton and floor curling, zumba classes, instrument training and painting lessons.
The open house shows the activities in action, and brings in people that normally wouldn’t be entering the facility.
“It’s an opportunity as an intergenerational event,” Power said. “We do have an age limit here, but during the open house you can come in under-55 so you can bring your daughter.”
She added that the facility gives visitors an opportunity to connect with others and provides valuable friendships to create a sense of community.
