Lamont County Appreciates Seniors

Emily Mailhot Reporter – Vegreville News Advertiser

On Thursday, June 6, Lamont County FCSS Senior’s Appreciation BBQ’s made its way into Mundare to celebrate the volunteerism and community spirit of its senior citizens.

Sara Rinder, with the Lamont and District Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), called for a round of applause for all seniors do in the community before announcing to the crowd in attendance that FCSS has done BBQ in Mundare for 13 years, 10 of which have been at the Senior’s Centre. “I think we all can say we’re thankful for their support of this event.”

Also in attendance among the FCSS volunteers and the guests of honour, FCSS Board members from municipalities Irene Talaga (Mundare Town Council Representative) and Carol Lynn Babiuk, Lamont County Health Facilitator, who Rinder thanked for their support of FCSS and seniors in the community.

For provincial Senior’s AppreciationWeek, hosted BBQs in Lamont Bruderheim, Andrew, and Mundare to show appreciation, and invited everyone to come in out of the rain and have a good time.

“Believe it or not, Mundare is actually our busiest town for senior’s BBQs,” said Rinder.

Served hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, and watermelon in classic BBQ fashion.

Silver and Gold, local band, performed all throughout lunch. “They’ve been coming out for years,” commented Rinder. “The band is headed by Charlie Gargus, former Mundare mayor, who has been a huge community advocate for us for years. We really appreciate their support.”

About the importance of celebrating Seniors, Rinder said, “In small-town Alberta, our seniors are our largest volunteer base, at least from what we can see in Lamont County, so we need to understand that after individuals retire, they still can contribute to the community. They have a ton of invaluable skills, and an amazing culture out here with our Ukrainian background. They have so much to contribute, and we need to recognize them for that.”

People who attended said that they enjoyed the music and the food. Some said that they were happy to be there to enjoy the company. A survey was handed to each event patron so that they could provide feedback for consideration to the next event.