It’s time for staying up ‘Late’ for the senior center

AVIVA GOELMAN

With autumn nearly upon us at the Costa Mesa Senior Center, our

Annual Campaign and Fundraising for the year is nearing an end. I

know I belabor the point of fundraising in this space often, but it

is the critical force that helps us maintain our many programs that

benefit seniors and give them a purpose to get up in the morning and

live life.

As part of our ongoing fundraising campaign, we are proud to

present a benefit performance of “Late Nite Catechism II.” This new,

hilarious, interactive sequel to the brilliant “Late Nite Catechism”

will be held at 8 p.m. on Oct. 23 in the Robert B. Moore Theatre at

Orange Coast College. VIP tickets are $75 each, and the general

public ticket price is $35. All seats are reserved.

Critics are once again calling this one of the funniest plays

ever. It is a wonderful way to while away a Saturday night, laughing,

participating, and knowing you’ve helped a good cause at the same

time.

The Senior Center is also preparing for our yearly Thanksgiving

lunch, a festive event that kicks off an enjoyable holiday season for

our community’s senior citizens. My family’s tradition is to gather

in my home for Thanksgiving and celebrate one another and our

blessings. Our Thanksgiving lunch at the Senior Center is an equally

enchanting tradition, bringing friends together to share

Thanksgiving.

This year’s event will be held on Nov. 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The menu will include succulent turkey and all the delicious

trimmings of Thanksgiving -- mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry

sauce and pumpkin pie.

Surat Singh, the owner of Angel’s Auto Spa in Costa Mesa and a

wonderfully generous man, is graciously sponsoring our Thanksgiving

lunch as he has for several years. Surat says he feels it is

important to remember our seniors and to be thankful for all the

wisdom and teaching they have shared with us and for giving so much

to our community. Sponsoring Thanksgiving lunch is Surat’s way of

saying thank you, while at the same time giving back to the seniors.

My grandchildren have the best description for Thanksgiving. They

love the taste of the turkey I roast at this time of year, they say,

better than the rest of the year. Somehow it seems to taste better

when Thanksgiving is here. But what they like best is spending the

day with us and enjoying the treat of eating at Grandma’s house.

That is how the Senior Center’s board of directors and staff feel

about the seniors who attend the center. We are one big, happy family

that enjoys celebrating the holidays together.

Please make your reservations early for our Thanksgiving lunch by

calling (949) 645-2356 or stopping by the Senior Center at 695 W.

19th Street, Costa Mesa. Reservations are a must. The cost is $2 per

person.

As we enter autumn, the crisp cool air arrives to remind us to

bundle up. But it should also serve to remind us that we need to

think of our health and what we can do to stay healthy during the

cool, wet months of winter. At this time of year, seniors begin to

feel their arthritis a little more. Most of us notice the symptoms as

pain in our joints.

Generally, here’s what seniors should know about arthritis. There

are three major symptoms of arthritis: joint pain, inflammation and

stiffness. They appear mainly in the knee, hip and hands but can also

appear in other parts of the body.

Remember, joint pain doesn’t have to keep you from the activities

you enjoy, especially if you get diagnosed early and check with your

doctor for proper medication. All of us at the Senior Center want you

to remain active and healthy so you can continue our programs,

especially our exercise classes.

Keeping fit gives you your independence. Don’t let arthritis keep

you away from the Senior Center. Come and enjoy our many exercise

programs from stretch, balance and mobility classes, to jazzercise,

Tai Chi and yoga. There is a class for everyone.

We will be holding our annual health fair on Nov. 16. On that day, we hope to be able to provide influenza shots from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

News reports are warning of a shortage of the flu vaccine, so please

call the Senior Center to verify that we have the vaccine for that

date.

* AVIVA GOELMAN is the executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior

Center and will write occasional columns about the center, its

members and senior issues.