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Carbondale Park District's senior programs stay cool - and busy

By Blackwell Thomas, The Southern

Thursday, September 4, 2008 9:46 PM CDT

CARBONDALE - Members of Carbondale's senior citizen community will have a chance to cool off in the sweetest of ways Monday when the Park District hosts its semi-annual Ice Cream Social at Hickory Lodge.

The socials are a tradition for the district that dates back more than 20 years and are part of a handful of programs the agency offers for seniors, said recreation coordinator Jane Childers.

The district targets much of its programming to specific age groups, and the social is one event that officials there say has proven successful for seniors.

"Seniors don't tend to attend the Sunset Concerts and the Chill Out in the Park," she said. "It tends to be the less able senior citizens who come. We've got repeat customers, people who have been coming for years and wouldn't miss it for anything."

Childers added: "My guess there will be 50 people there Monday; we've had as many as 75 people."

In acknowledgment of the region's growing population of seniors, the district has expanded its offerings toward the elderly through the years.

Through the Life Center the district offers an arthritis aquatic program and Hickory Ridge Golf Center offers a seniors golf league.

Childers said attendance in the aquatics programs "has gone quite well" and officials at the golf course said attendance in the senior league was up slightly this year to about 100 participants.

The ice cream social runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will feature another tradition in local musician Bob Pina, who said he's been playing the socials for the last 20 years.

"I just bring a keyboard and take requests," he said. "Mostly it's standard music, to way, way back. There's nothing real new. I guess they like it, because they keep having me back."

For more information on Park District Programs call 549-4222.

blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com

351-5823