Senior Citizens and Veterans Expo coming to Old Smokey

Local senior citizens and military veterans are welcome to Old Smokey City Park in Braidwood on Saturday, May 20, for a free Senior Citizen and Veterans Health and Wellness Expo, sponsored by the Braidwood Lions Club.

The event takes place at the Lions Pavilion from noon until 4 p.m., and will feature vendors, exhibitors, organizations, and local businesses who will be on hand to discuss and showcase a variety of services, products and information geared toward Senior Citizen and Veterans Health and Wellness.

Included will be free blood pressure, blood glucose and other wellness screenings.

A list of vendors, exhibitors, and local businesses who will be participating in the event can be found on our club’s website, www.braidwoodlionsclub.org.

The event will also feature door prizes, and a Frank Sinatra impersonator will sing some of the hits made popular by Old Blue Eyes.

A soup, sandwich, and desert lunch will be available for $5.00.

Seniors aged 60 and older and veterans who reside within the Lions Club’s service area (Braidwood, Godley, and Shadow Lakes) will receive a free lunch.

Proof of residency by way of photo ID, rent receipt, or water/utility bill must be presented at the registration table in order to receive a free lunch.

Veterans will also need to show a military ID or dog tags along with proof of residency within the club’s service area.

The first 100 veterans who reside outside of the club’s service area will also receive a free lunch thanks to local Realtor Bobby Findlay and Findlay Real Estate Group, who will be covering the cost of their lunches.

This is another first-time event for the Lions, who are excited to be able to showcase the services, products and information that is available to the Senior Citizen and Veteran residents in the area.

This event takes the place of the club’s Senior Citizen and Veterans Holiday Pancake Breakfast, which the Braidwood Lions previously held at the beginning of December. Due to low turnout for a couple of years in a row, the club decided to try and come up with something different during a warmer time of the year, that was still geared toward Senior Citizens and Veterans.

The Holiday Pancake Breakfast had previously replaced the club’s holiday fruit basket for Seniors project, which was disbanded in 2013 due to difficulties in maintaining and updating our distribution lists.