NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2000

TOWN SEEKS INPUT ON SENIOR CENTER PROGRAMMING

CARY, NC – The Town of Cary wants to hear citizen thoughts on programs and service offerings for its new Cary Senior Center which should open this fall in Bond Park. In this regard, staff from Cary’s Senior Center are holding a public meeting on Wednesday, March 15^th at 2:00 PM at the new Bond Park Community Center to collect this information as well as to answer any questions about the new, state of the art facility. Call 469-4081 to pre-register for the March 15^th meeting or to learn how you can share your thoughts on programming ideas if you are unable to attend.

Cary’s new center for seniors is being built to enhance the quality leisure activities and services provided by the Town of Cary to all adults age 55 and older by offering activities that assist, inform, entertain and enrich the lives of the Town of Cary’s citizens. When completed this fall, Cary’s modern senior center will consist of 3 distinct areas —administration, classroom, and multipurpose—joined by hallways and a large courtyard. The main area will house a large exercise room for aerobics and other fitness activities as well as serve as the check in area and administrative offices for the Senior Center staff. Here, Resources for Seniors staff will offer a variety of services including counseling and first aid. The classroom wing will house four rooms—a media center featuring a computer lab and extensive library of books, resources and books on tape; two "wet" classrooms for "messier" arts and crafts, ceramics, gardening, and many other activities; and one "dry" classroom for a variety of classes and workshops. The multi-purpose area is designed for large gatherings including dances, meetings, and meals. A folding wall will allow for two separate activities. There will be a large, professional catering kitchen ideal for cooking workshops, a Meals on Wheels distribution site and other food related program offerings.

The Town broke ground on the new 15,500 square foot center in October, 1999. The $2.7 million project being paid for by the Town of Cary as well as a grant from the State of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Aging and funding from the NC General Assembly’s annual appropriations for senior centers.

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