OWASSO, Okla. — Cornhole, bridge, line dancing, and more keep seniors active and connected at the Owasso Community Center, and a major donation will ensure those programs continue for generations.
The Owasso Gold Agers Foundation has voted to dissolve, but before closing its doors, the organization donated just over $476,000 to the City of Owasso to benefit senior citizens.
Board member Beverly Zeemlock said the decision came after years of declining membership following the pandemic.
"After the pandemic and Covid and everything, our membership kind of dropped off and filling positions and stuff, and so the board decided to just dissolve the foundation, and we searched for places to donate the money, and we decided on the City of Owasso for the benefit of the seniors," she said.
Zeemlock has been coming to the community center for 10 years and says that bridge is her favorite activity there.
"I enjoy the bridge, that's my favorite game and the socialization with my peers."
Art Haddaway said the city plans to put the funds to work directly for seniors.
"Our goal here at the City of Owasso is to advocate and champion for our senior citizens locally, and those funds will be dedicated either to constructing, renovating, or developing infrastructure for our senior citizens, as well as programming."
Jean Patterson, who coordinates senior programs at the center, described the wide range of activities already available.
"We have exercise classes three days a week, chair exercise one at 8:30 and one at 9:30. We play bingo, we play cornhole, we play ping pong. We have line dancing in here five days a week. We have two different bridge groups... Seriously, we have card players that it says on their phone they're going to work because they are here five days a week."
Patterson said the center's impact goes far beyond recreation.
"Isolating is really, really dangerous for elderly people, particularly someone who has been widowed recently, and sadly enough, we have a lot of those, so being here is just life-affirming."
The Owasso City Council has already approved accepting the funds. The money will be dedicated to constructing, renovating, and developing infrastructure and programming for senior citizens.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Sharon Phillips is your Owasso reporter.
Is there something you think she should know about or look into?
You can email her at Sharon.Phillips@kjrh.com.
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