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Orangeville Recreation celebrates Seniors Day with free activities

October 12, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

It was a day to learn about how much fun seniors can have in Orangeville through recreational and fitness activities at local facilities.

Orangeville Recreation celebrated National Seniors Day by inviting seniors to free activities at the Tony Rose Memorial Arena and the Alder Recreation Centre on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

“Older adults are a vibrant, strong part of our communities, and they deserve to be celebrated,” said Sharon Doherty-Gaudin, Orangeville’s manager of recreation and events. “Orangeville Recreation is proud to continue to provide opportunities for older people in our communities to have fun while experiencing healthy and active lifestyles.”

The day featured a full line-up of activities on ice, in the water, and fitness rooms. Many of the participants were regular visitors, while others took advantage of the free day to see what was available and find something they could participate in.

“On senior’s day, all of our fitness programs, swimming, and skating, and all of the programs we offer throughout the day are free for seniors to attend,” explained Janine, who covers customer service at Tony Rose Arena. “It is running all day, so people will be dropping in here all day. There are fitness classes, Zumba, beginning line dancing, and two yoga programs. There is a public swim and lane swimming. We also have adult skating.”

Several people signed up for the beginner line-dancing class led by Marifa MacMullen. Marifa is also the fitness instructor for the Town of Orangeville.

“Our Zumba class went really well,” Marifa explained. “It’s called Zumba Gold, which is lower intensity, so there are options. We had one person who is recovering from cancer, and she danced in her chair. We had another person who is new, so also she stayed close to her chair. We had other seniors with higher abilities, and they were doing jumping jacks in the class. Most of our seniors come three or four times a week to line dancing, so they know the dance moves. All of our classes and schedules are available online. We have over 20 classes each week.”

Marifa also teaches dance and Zumba classes at local senior centres and retirement homes.

The program was well received by attendees who took the opportunity to visit, have fun, exercise, and see which programs are available to seniors in Orangeville.

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