Senior convention gets under way Thursday

On Thursday, the first Valley senior citizen convention will become a reality, after more than a year spent planning the event.

The one-day convention, held at the Wasilla Senior Citizens Center from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., brings together in one place at least 289 agencies and organizations which can help seniors in a variety of areas.

"We've almost got 30 groups coming, and it should be a real good deal for seniors," said Don Anderson, a member of the Mat-Su Borough Senior Advisory Committee, the group organizing the event. "You don't have to belong to a senior center to come. It's open to any senior."

Anchorage has had senior conventions before, but as far as Anderson can recall, this is the first one for the Valley.

The Mat-Su Borough Senior Advisory Committee has been trying to organize the event for more than a year, but as members left the board and new members joined, the event stalled for a couple of months.

The one-day convention is designed to give seniors access to information from a variety of organizations -- groups ranging from medical providers to housing authorities are scheduled to attend the convention and already have information prepared for Valley seniors, making it a one-stop shop for seniors.

There is no cost to seniors for the convention, but lunch will be available for purchase at the center, Anderson said, during the scheduled lunch break. For more information about the convention, interested people can call Anderson at 892-7219, or Mat-Su Senior Advisory Committee members Freda Hatton at 745-2879 or Dee Pralle at 495-6633.