By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
Twenty vendors promoted their services while Yukon Parks & Recreation staff highlighted their senior activities this week during a special event.
Yukon’s annual Senior Health & Fitness Day was observed May 25 inside a packed Dale Robertson Center, 1200 Lakeshore.
Yukon-area residents ages 55 years and above attended this informative, fun-filled senior fair.
“We’re so excited to have 20 registered vendors who came out today,” Dale Robertson Center manager Casey Barnett said. “They are sharing some good information with our seniors.
“I’m happy with the turnout. A lot of good people are enjoying themselves and seem to love our ‘day in the programs’.”
VENDORS APLENTY
Wednesday’s big event featured a vendor fair with health and wellness information from these local service providers:
- Angel’s Care Home Health
- Archwell Health
- Canadian County Health Department
- CaptionCall
- Conrad Marr Drug
- D-DENT
- Doyle Chiropractic & Family Wellness
- First Choice Home
- Homestead Assisted Living
- Humana
- Ingram, Smith & Turner Mortuary
- OU Health Sciences Center
- Physician House Calls
- Walmart Neighborhood Market
- Yanda & Son Funeral Home
- Yukon Fire Department
- Yukon Mobile Meals
- Yukon Police Department
- Yukon Progress Newspaper
- Yukon Veterans Museum
“About half of our vendors are ‘returnees’ and half of them are new,” Barnett said. “Extra kudos to (DRC receptionist) Donna Coley, who organizes all the vendors.”
Meanwhile, YPR personnel demonstrated some of the Dale Robertson Center’s popular activities for the 55-and-over-population.
Featured were the “Drum Beats” exercise class, Wii bowling, line dancing, and table tennis, along with fitness equipment like the treadmill and stationary bike.
Attendees had a tasty, nutritious lunch and earned door prizes for visiting all 20 booths. As a bonus, there were drawings for even more prizes.
A LOT TO OFFER
Wednesday’s Yukon Senior Health & Fitness Day event was aimed at providing local seniors with a glimpse of all the opportunities and quality programs that exist for their improved health and well-being.
Angela Craig of D-DENT (Dentists for the Disabled & Elderly in Need of Treatment) was pleased with the sizeable turnout for the annual senior fair.
“Yukon has such a great, lively, active senior center,” Craig said. “We know we’ll reach a lot of people and can talk to them about oral health by coming out here.”
D-DENT is an Oklahoma non-profit agency that helps low-income, uninsured seniors get to a dentist. They work with a group of volunteer dentists and make appointments for those who are eligible.
The service is provided to anyone age 60 years or older with an annual income of $18,000 or less, along with uninsured veterans and the disabled.
D-DENT presents oral health education talks and provides oral cancer screenings at senior facilities across the Oklahoma City metro region.
“Yukon has one of the largest senior centers that I go to and has so much participation,” Craig added.
“People who don’t go to the dentist don’t get that information and they don’t get a cancer screening. So, we try to meet seniors ‘where they’re at’.”
LIVE A BETTER LIFE
Another featured vendor was Tiffany Jeffries, of Angel’s Care Home Health.
“I love coming to the Dale Robertson senior center because Casey and Donna do such a great job of bringing people together and helping them find resources for what they need to live a better life,” Jeffries said.
Angel’s Care comes into people’s homes across Oklahoma to help facilitate continuum care, so patients don’t have to make so many visits to the doctor.
“I gotten a great response from the seniors in Yukon,” Jeffries said. “I’m having conversations and speaking with people about what they’re going through in life.
“A lot of seniors don’t have family locally. I can help get them the resources they need to make things easier.”
COVID BOOSTER SHOTS, BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKS
One of the most popular booths was manned by Canadian County Health Department personnel, who provided COVID-19 booster shots and blood pressure checks.
CCHD’s Debbie Maguire also was promoting their mobile health unit, which connects people to health services in under-resourced areas across Canadian and surrounding counties.
The City of Yukon’s Dale Robertson Center provides Yukon residents ages 55 years and older a place to experience an active lifestyle.
A full slate of activities and classes are offered. Lunch is served Monday through Friday. A van service is available to transport participants to and from the center.
For more information, call (405) 350-7680.
