ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP & FEES

It is February and we are celebrating Black History Month! Join us in honoring the contributions of African Americans and how their experiences have shaped the United States. Make sure to check out our African American Film Festival, join us for “Uncloaked 2,” dine with us at Ooh’s and Aahh’s, or travel with us to the Banneker-Douglass Museum.

February is also Healthy Heart Month. Take the time to strengthen your heart with exercise, healthy eating, and the number one thing you can do: Hang out with a friend! Come spend time this February at the BGC, it is not only good for your health, you might learn something too!

I’ll BGC-ing you!

Charlyn Simpson

FRIDAY, MAR 17 • 12:45 PM

ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION

Dress in green and get ready to celebrate because everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! We will celebrate our good luck with entertainment and fun. Light refreshments served.

Fee { Free Members; $5 NonMembers } … Deadline { Mar 13 } activity center at bohrer park FITNESS CENTER

If a person wants to go on a trip or attend a program and is not a member, they may join the Center for a 30-day period (City residents: $10, nonresidents: $25). During the period they have all the privileges of a member, and if they decide to join for a year during the first 30 days, the cost of their 30-day trial will be applied toward an annual membership. Please note that cumulative one-month membership fees will not apply.

THURSDAY, FEB 16 • 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Senior Information and Assistance

Do you need information on senior housing, financial assistance, Medicare, Medicaid, or help filling out forms? Please call the Front Desk at 301.258.6380 to make an appointment with Tracy Carter of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.

Inclement Weather

Emergency Closing Policy

• If Montgomery County Public Schools are closed due to inclement weather, the Benjamin Gaither Center will be closed.

• If Montgomery County Public Schools have a delayed opening, the Benjamin Gaither Center will open at 10 a.m.; classes and programs scheduled before 10 a.m. will be canceled, classes and programs scheduled at 10 a.m. or later will run; City transportation will be provided with pick-ups starting at 10 a.m.; transportation on the County bus is canceled.

• If Montgomery County Public Schools have an early dismissal, afternoon and evening classes and programs are canceled; City transportation will be provided before the regular 2 p.m. departure time; County transportation will be provided at the regular 2 p.m. departure time or earlier as available.

• In the event of inclement weather or an emergency on a weekend or holiday, please call 301-258-6380 or go to the City’s website gaithersburgmd.gov to learn about cancellations and closures.

TUESDAYS • 11 AM (VIRTUAL)

Coping With Change

FRIDAY,

FRIDAY, FEB 24 • BY APPOINTMENT

Podiatrist Services

Sign up at the front desk for an appointment with one of the doctors from Maple Springs Foot Center. Most insurances are accepted, including Medicare.

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TUESDAY, FEB 21 • 10 AM

Blood Pressure Screening

Blood pressure screening onsite with nursing students of Montgomery College.

Are you not bouncing back like you used to? Learn how to roll with the punches by joining our group discussion facilitated by Jamie Lomison, LCPC from Senior Services at The Affiliated Santé Group. Email: jlomison@santegroup.org to receive the zoom link. Free. Individual appointments available by calling 301.741.7764. .............................................................

TUESDAY, FEB 7 • 11

Brain Games

Am

Community Angels Nursing Services team are available on site with fun brainteaser games to test your knowledge. This program is offered as an extension of the Memory Care Screening. Free.

• 10 AM – NOON mini health fair

FEB 17

Make your health your priority. Join us for the community health fair brought to you by CCACC. The fair will have health screenings, bone density test, fall prevention training, mental health screening, medical consultation and health benefit consultation. Light refreshments provided. Free.

Tech Corner

FRIDAYS • 11 AM COMPUTER HELP!

Do you have a computer question? We have the answers. Visit the computer lab, and a volunteer will be available to answer your questions. Free. Please call 301-258-6380 before coming to check for availability.

Attention Please

Out of an abundance of caution, it is advised to have your COVID Vaccine information and a mask with you when going on trips. Proof of vaccine and masks are being required at more and more venues.

FRIDAY, FEB 3 • 9:30 AM – 2 PM WASHINGTON, DC

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART-VITTORE CARPACCIO: MASTER STORYTELLER OF RENAISSANCE VENICE

A leading figure in the art of Renaissance Venice, Vittore Carpaccio is best known for his large, spectacular narrative paintings that brought sacred history to life. Although for centuries he has been loved and celebrated in his native city for his observant eye, fertile imagination, and storytelling prowess, this exhibition marks the first retrospective of the artist ever held outside Italy. Lunch on your own in one of the restaurants in the Gallery. Please bring Cash.

Fee { $20 } … Deadline { Feb 1 }

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WEDNESDAY, FEB 8 • 10:30 AM –4:30 PM • WASHINGTON, DC

“RIDE THE CYCLONE” AT ARENA STAGE

Part comedy, part tragedy and wholly unexpected, this wildly imaginative story delivers surprises at every turn. The lives of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. A mechanical fortuneteller invites each to tell their story of a life interrupted, offering the chance to come to terms with their fates. At once quirky and smart, edgy and beautiful, “Ride the Cyclone” ultimately reveals the resilience of the human spirit in spite of senseless tragedy.

Fee { $63 } ................................................................

FRIDAY, FEB 10 • 9 AM – 3 PM ANNAPOLIS, MD

BANNEKER-DOUGLASS MUSEUM

As the State of Maryland’s official museum of African American heritage, the Banneker-Douglass Museum serves to document, to interpret, and to promote African American history and culture (particularly in Maryland) through exhibitions, programs, and projects in order to improve the understanding and appreciation of America’s rich cultural diversity for all. The museum currently holds the exhibit “The Radical Voice of Blackness Speaks of Resistance and Joy”. It is an exhibit to see as we celebrate Black History Month.

Fee { $20 }… Deadline { Feb 8 } ................................................................

WEDNESDAY, FEB 15 9:45 AM – 4:30 PM • COLUMBIA, MD

“SOMETHING ROTTEN” AT TOBY’S

Set in the 1590’s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of a “Renaissance Rockstar.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, they set out to write the world’s first MUSICAL! Critics and audiences alike went wild for SOMETHING ROTTEN, an outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce hailed by Time Out New York as, “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.” Buffet lunch, dessert, tea or coffee, and tip included.

Fee { $83 } ................................................................

THURSDAY, FEB 23 • 10:15 AM – 2 PM OAKTON, VA

Galloping Gourmets To Mama Tigre

Celebrate the wonderful menu that this Mexican-Indian Fusion establishment creates! Reviewed as having some of the best Tacos and Margaritas in the area! With the base of native Mexican comfort cuisine, Chef Prakash infuses an array of exotic and complex spices, some of which are native to her motherland, India, making the ordinary, extraordinary and exciting. Please bring cash, as there will not be separate checks.

Fee { $20 }… Deadline { Feb 21 }

MONDAY, FEB 27 • 11:20 AM – 3 PM WASHINGTON, DC

YEAR OF THE WORLD CUISINES STOP #6: OOHH’S & AAHH’S

Check out this highly rated Soul Food Joint featured on Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives. The Washington Post rated them as having the Best Mac & Cheese in D.C. Serving the locals since 2003, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Please bring cash.

Fee { $20 }… Deadline { Feb 23 }

WEDNESDAY, MAR 29 • 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM • WASHINGTON, DC

“THE HIGH GROUND” AT ARENA STAGE

A Black man in an army uniform stands his ground atop Tulsa’s Standpipe Hill, bearing witness to the destruction and desecration of Tulsa’s Greenwood District — but other forces, both friendly and hostile, conspire to remove him. A play in conversation with Tulsa, Oklahoma’s 1921 race massacre, The High Ground offers a complex portrait of what it means to root, to resist and to proceed from devastation.

Fee { $63 } … Deadline { Feb 23 }