They also caught a glimpse of Wellness Centre’s new rec room at end-of-summer event
A BBQ event held on the morning of Sept. 9 outside the Agape Senior’s Wellness Centre on Notre Dame Blvd. in Chomedey also was an opportunity for many of the seniors to take a tour of the exciting new recreation room.
Councillor’s invitation
The members of the Wellness Centre had been invited by Laval city councillor for Souvenir-Labelle Sandra El-Helou, who is responsible for senior citizens’ dossiers at Laval city hall, to come out and enjoy the BBQ which she sponsored and hosted.
According to Youth and Parents Agape Association executive-director Kevin McLeod, El-Helou offered to put together the late morning to noon-hour event and more than 200 senior citizens and other members of the community from Laval accepted the offer.
A great day for a BBQ
“It was a wonderful event, a beautiful lunch served to recognize their importance and the end of summer, and just to thank them for being there,” McLeod said in an interview with the Laval News.
On the lunchtime menu were chicken brochettes, potatoes and salad. Afterwards there were free gifts for the guests, including complimentary scarfs courtesy of Councillor El-Helou. The Coco Loco Family Breakfast Restaurant donated all the food. Background entertainment was provided by a professional musician who played keyboards.
Brand new recreation gear
At the same time, the seniors joined Agape staff in helping to open the new recreation room at the Agape Senior’s Wellness Centre. Caisse Desjardins de Chomedey played a key role in making the recreation facility possible through a $10,000 gift.
As well, outgoing Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette provided an additional $2,000, while Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete gave $2,500. The money purchased a range of recreation equipment for the room, including a billiards table, an air hockey table, wall-mounted television screens and a variety of other games equipment.
Fun and recreation await
“We just can’t wait to get all the seniors in here,” added McLeod, while noting that bringing all the financial support together to open the recreation room was a challenge in itself because finding funding isn’t always easy for non-profit organizations.
The Agape Senior’s Wellness Centre promotes physical, mental, social and emotional well-being among Laval’s English-speaking senior citizens 55 years of age and older. As described on the Agape website, “It is a place where seniors can go for health-related conferences, resources and referrals by our coordinator. For more specific needs, seniors can request an appointment with our social worker.”
