March 19, 2015 - Young At Heart - Stoughton Courier Hub 11

Senior games return to Dane County

Competition is open to
anyone 50 and older

Entertainment
Centers balance
offerings for new
generation of
seniors

Bill Livick
Unified Newspaper Group

Whether your passion is in a

good game of cards or something
more physically vigorous, like
basketball or track and field, Wisconsin Senior Games has something for you.
The senior games have grown
from a daylong event in Middleton
in 1983 to a two-week competition
held in nine cities in Dane County
with almost 500 participants.
The games are open to anyone
50 and over, regardless of where
they live, and take place June
6-20. The deadline to register is
May 8.
The Wisconsin Senior Games
should not be confused with Wisconsin Senior Olympics, a separate but similar set of games held
throughout the state later in the
year.
Were more of a community
organization that draws participants from throughout the state
and even some from outside the
state, whereas the Wisconsin
Senior Olympics have a higher
profile and higher numbers,
explained Reggie Hennessey,
president of the Wisconsin Senior
Games Board of Directors.
He said the senior games offer
older adults a chance to stay fit
and compete against others in their
age range. The games are also a
way to meet others who are passionate about staying active and
competing.
The camaraderie and social
aspects are very important, Hennessey said. The seniors are
very competitive in some of these
events, like the three-on-three basketball. They give it their all.
Planning for the senior games
began in Middleton more than
three decades ago, when a group
of older adults decided to hold a

Whats inside

Page 2
Nursing homes
bring in karaoke
Page 3

Lifestyle/
Health
Safety tips for
medication
handling
Photos submitted

Less strenuous than some sports, billiards is a popular sport at the Wisconsin Senior Games. The games take place from June
6-20 in nine different cities throughout Dane County.

If you go

Page 4

What: Wisconsin Senior Games

When: June 6-20
Where: Madison and seven
other Dane County communities
To participate: Register online
at wiseniorgames.org or complete
a registration form by contacting
Reggie Hennessey at (608) 2746842 or wsginfo@wiseniorgames.
org
Registration deadline: May 8
competition for local residents.
The following year, the games
were held over two days and
included track, golf, softball, basketball free throw, jarts and a

Ways to help keep

mental health
strong

Understanding and
preventing heart
disease
Page 5

Finance
Never to late to
plan for retirement
The senior games hold competition in a host of sports, such as tennis and racquet

Page 6

Turn to Senior Games/Page 7 ball.

Avoiding phone and email fraud this spring break season

Jacob Bielanski
Unified Newspaper Group

Its late and a number you dont know

calls your phone. He claims to be your
grandson who just got into an accident.
Everything is fine, he says, but he just
needs to be wired some money for car
repairs or for a trip home. Also, please,
dont tell mom or dad. What do you do?
The call is almost definitely a scam.
It has become so cheap to call long
distance from anywhere in the world, its
easy to sit in Africa or Southeast Asia or
anywhere in the world and call people in
Wisconsin hundreds of times a day so
(scammers) do that, said Sandy Chalmers,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection.
Chalmers said that while the elderly are
not necessarily more vulnerable, they are
targeted more frequently than anyone else
in the state. She said the office hears from
some senior citizens claiming to get scam
calls as much as 20 times a day.
(Senior citizens) are attractive to

criminals, they tend to have a nest egg,

own their homes and have substantial savings theres money to steal, Chalmers
said.
For all of these cases, the set up is the
same you need to act now, and you need
to give up personal information or even
money. Medicare enrollment season presents a particularly heavy target for seniors,
according to Chalmers. Scammers will
claim to be from the Medicare office during enrollment season which stretches
from January 1 through the end of March
and ask callers to verify the number on
the back of their Medicare card. According
to Chalmers, that number is the holders
social security number.
Medicare fraud is huge, Chalmers said.
But with spring break on the horizon, the
department warns everyone with grandchildren to be wary of calls looking for help.
According to a March 10 release, scammers will attempt to impersonate grandchildren who are in need of help. Often, the
grandchildren will ask to keep the call a
secret.
Its surprisingly easy for a crook to

gather enough online information to impersonate a loved one, Chalmers said. This
is a scam we hear about on a regular basis
in Wisconsin.
Other frauds include callers impersonating members of the IRS, FBI, and any
number of state and federal agencies. The
representatives, however, do something
that a public would not, and cannot, ever
do: ask for personal information over the
phone. The same occurs frequently with
email, Chalmers said, and the same rules
apply.
So as the scammer wind down their
Medicare fraud efforts and turn to spring
break, now is maybe the time to give your
son, daughter, or grandkids a call you
know, ask where they plan to be, in case
theres any real trouble.

Avoiding Scams

Hang up, dont press keys many

of these calls come from automated
machines that dont know if the number is valid. Pressing a key or responding to a robo-call, assistant deputy secretary Sandy Chalmers said, assures

the system that yours is a real number

and that it should call non-stop.
Never provide personal information. If
you find yourself talking to a live person, never give personal information,
such as credit card numbers, social
security numbers or anything else.
Get on the Wisconsins Do Not Call
registry. This wont stop the scammers, but Chalmers says that this
makes it easier to filter them. Anyone
who calls you unsolicited while youre
on that list is in violation of state and
federal law and probably not someone you want to do business with.
You can do this online at donotcall.
gov.
Remember it doesnt cost money to
collect a prize. One common scam
tells that youve received something
a family member has bought a medical
alert device, or youve won the lottery and that the last step is to send a
down payment or provide a credit card
number. No reputable business operates in this way.

12 - Young At Heart - Stoughton Courier Hub - March 19, 2015

Bridging the generation gap

Centers balancing
needs for different
age groups
Scott De Laruelle
Unified News Group

Many senior center

members in their 80s and
90s grew up listening to
the music like the Glenn
Miller Band. New
members in their late 60s
grew up listening to the
Beatles.
The trick is finding a
wide range of programming to serve all people
at senior centers, and
around the Dane County
area, that means changing up a few things, from
entertainment to food
selection.
According to the
National Council on
Aging, senior centers
have become one of the
most widely used services among Americas
older adults, with more
than 11,400 centers serving more than 1 million
people. And while the
age gap between younger and older members is
about the same as in the
past, generational changes brought about by the
Baby Boomers (born
roughly 1946-64) has
increased the differences
between older and younger members.
There are folks here
from 55 to 90 to 100,
said Verona Senior Center director Mary Hanson.
So you can imagine a
lot of variety in activities people are interested

Photo by Mark Ignatowski

Guitarist Richard Wiegel strums

and sings as audience members
at the Verona Area Senior Center
clap along in September.

Photo by Scott De Laruelle

Above, The Retro Swing Band

swung by the Oregon Senior
Center Monday afternoon for
a concert, playing a variety of
tunes from the Big Band and
other eras, much to the delight
of a packed house.

According to
the Centers for
Disease Control,
the current life
expectancy in the
U.S. is nearly 79
years and rising.

Photo by Kimberly Wethal

At right, the Stoughton Senior

Center celebrated Elvis birthday
in January with impersonator
Alan Graveen and his Strictly
Elvis show on Tuesday. With
around 75 in attendance,
Graveen sang classic Elvis
songs and got the audience
involved with his act. Gail
Raymond is serenaded by the
Elvis impersonator.

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said in the past, differin. (Weve) got to figure everybody.

Oregon Senior Center ent generations of seniors
that out and arrange programming that works for director Alison Koelsch would all be interested in
similar things.
Wed have a lot of
seniors in their 70s come
in with mom, whos in
the 90s, and mother and
daughter would come in
together and there would
be some knitting and
crocheting and quilting
very old school that a
Greenspire Apartments are designed for older adults 62+ and disabled persons. Our community
lot of senior centers probconsists of one and two bedroom apartments nestled in a park-like area and is just a few blocks from
ably provided all over the
downtown Stoughton.
nation, she said. With
euchre, we used to have
Spacious community room On-site laundry Emergency call system in every room
15 tables set up; it was
Chair lifts/elevators Near Stoughton Senior Center Beautiful landscaping
just packed. Over time,
Friendly management and staff
(players) have just passed
away now were down
Greenspire Apartments
to around seven tables if
924 Jackson Street 873-7855
were lucky.
Instead, the younger
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer
seniors are playing games

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like cribbage, dominoes,

Mahjong or Zumba Gold,
which Koelsch said is
huge at the center.
Thats what youre
going to see, from a lot of
these people in their 60s
and up, she said.
What you dont see
from that more tech-savvy
group is computer classes, though.
Weve gotten away
from that because our
center is Wi-Fi connected, and a lot of people
have their own laptops,
Koelsch said. We got
rid of all our outdated
computers and desks,
and now our computer
room is a learning center,
if they want to do other
classes because they are
not doing things with

computer skills.
Younger seniors also
have different tastes, as
well, Koelsch said.
The older folks are
happy with roast beef and
mashed potatoes and gravy, and the younger ones
would rather have a salad
or potato bar, she said.
Theyre not coming to
the site; it doesnt interest
them as much.
For senior centers, its
all about providing the
change their patrons want.
Koelsch said the trend
will likely continue in the
future, with more boomers reaching the age of
seniors.
The first boomer
turned 60 more than five
years ago, so its pretty
recently, she said. It
takes a while for trends to
sink in. Dane County in
10 years is going to be 25
percent of the population
over the age of 60.

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March 19, 2015 - Young At Heart - Stoughton Courier Hub 13

The Rambling Vocals entertain at area nursing homes

Samra Teferra
Unified Newspaper Group

Photos by Samra Teferra

From left, Harriet Person, Homer Howard and Willard Lund watch a karaoke performance on March 13.

Skaalen residents Phil Elsing, left, and Raymond Cull, right, sing
karaoke on March 13.

Living Center in Stoughton

and The Heritage in Monona.
Melinda Arbuckle, resident assistant at Skaalen, said
they kept people engaged at a
show she watched.
Usually if its bad (the
residents) leave, said. I
brought five people down
to the performance, and
halfway through the performance, when I came back,
they didnt want to come
back (to their rooms).
Pam Parsons, director of
leisure and support services
at Skaalen, said music is a
big part of programming

there. The center has recently

hosted groups like The Heart
Strings Program with Madison Symphony Orchestra,
Music and Memory program
with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and
the Wisconsin Old Time Fiddlers and Piano concerts.
We have paid entertainers
come in, as well as volunteers, she said.
But karaoke has brought
a different level of accessibility, though, as seniors
are engaged with the music
through a visual as well as an
audio medium.

Free MeMbership

People are drawn to

music, whether its western
or classic, he said. When
we sing together, its fun,
and when we listen to good
music its uplifting.
The seniors and the performers bring joy to one
another. Elsing and Cull both
enjoy seeing their crowds
happy. And Elsing, owner of
Elsing Second Hand Shop in
Stoughton, has been reunited
with old customers.
I love seeing people happy, he said.

We haave three concerts a year featuring

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There is absolutely no charge

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visit St. Marys

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or call 608-258-5995.

Tickets availab
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5510 E. Lacy Road

Fitchburg, WI
(608) 270-4290
www.tchburgwi.gov

Exercise & Wellness

Yoga
Tai Chi
Zumba
Aerobics
Pickle Ball
Bike Group
Functional Fitness
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Volunteer Opportunities
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members. But The Rambling Vocals are bringing karaoke to even older
seniors.
Most senior center members tend to be 55 and older,
while nursing and assisted
living centers residents
include an older population.
The youngest resident at
Skaalen is 72 years old and
the oldest is 99.
Willard Lund, a 92-yearold resident at Skaalen from
McFarland, has always been
a music lover.

a non-pro
ofitt community-centered organization which brings a
vastt arrrayy of top notch music to the Hometown stage.

Become a member of GoldenCare

As a member you receive an

informative newsletter and
are invited to
educational programs
and social events.

Karaoke is not for bars

anymore, Parsons said.
Residents can look at the
screen and read the words
because they are so large.
And this involvement
brings greater engagement.
RN manager Shari Kellogg
sees the effect on residents.
The now technology is
being introduced to their
generation, she said. Karaoke is a great way to pull
them out of their shells.
More senior centers are
beginning to offer karaoke to

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When Raymond Cull and

Phil Elsing met 15 years ago
and began singing karaoke
they never thought they would
perform outside of a bar. But
today, they travel to local nursing and assisted living centers to entertain a whole new
crowd senior citizens.
Karaoke has been one
of their favorite pastimes
for years, but last year they
decided to form a traveling
band. The idea came from
Cull, after the illness of one
of his neighbors.
She was staying at the
Harmony House she had
never heard me sing in person,
so I was going to sing for her,
but she passed away a week
before I got there, he said.
After the unfortunate incident, the two decided to volunteer at assisted living and
nursing homes. They formed
the band The Rambling
Vocals and set out to share
the joy they find in karaoke
with seniors.
We got together, and
its our own little family,
said Elsing. Band members
include Raymond Cull, Phil
Elsing, Renee Clark and Lisa
Vanroy.
January marked their first
performance at Skaalen
Nursing and Assisted Living
Center, which turned out to
be a big hit with the seniors.
They have also visited Nazareth Health and Rehabilitation Center and Harmony

14 - Young At Heart - Stoughton Courier Hub - March 19, 2015

Medication safety tips for children and adults to avoid injury

Prescription and over-the-counter medications can save lives and help people of
all ages manage certain conditions.
When used correctly and under the
guidance of a physician, medications are
largely safe. It is when medicines are used
off-label, shared or taken in error that reactions and injury can occur.
The American Academy of Pediatrics
and their Healthy Children Organization
warns that more than 7,000 children visit
hospital emergency rooms every year for
problems related to medication errors.
Children are not the only ones in danger.
Adults can make mistakes with their medications as well.
For example, seniors who may be managing several different types of medications can inadvertently cause dangerous
drug interactions by mixing the wrong
pills.
Pharmacists work diligently to help
prevent medication errors. However, the
general public can also do their part. The
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the National Association of

Boards of Pharmacy offer these medication

safety tips.

When a new medication is prescribed,
ask the doctor to explain more about it,
including its intended purpose and any
common side effects to be expected.

pharmacist so that potential drug interactions will be flagged.

Pharmacists are well versed in medications and may be able to inform you as
to the safety or risk involved in taking an
over-the-counter product at the same time
that you are on a prescription.

Make sure your doctor knows about

all the medications you are taking, including non-prescription products, herbal remedies, dietary supplements, and vitamins.
Some medications do not mix with seemingly innocent ingredients.
Keep a running list of any medicines you
take so you can easily and accurately share
this information with your physician.

Question anything that you do not
understand. Check the prescription for dosing information. For refills, make sure the
refill information conforms to the original
prescription strength.

Many pills look the same. If you are

confused and taking multiple medications,
keep medications in the original packaging
and double-check the labels before taking
any medications.

Use the right dosing tools. A spoon
from the kitchen is not accurate for measuring out a teaspoon of medication.

not be an ideal place to store medications,

as bathrooms get damp, and that can compromise the integrity of the pills.
Also, bathroom cabinets are readily
accessible by all, including kids. Its better to store drugs out of sight and reach
of children. Keep dangerous medications
locked away.
Routinely discard expired or unneeded
medications. Medicine take-back programs
for disposal are a good way to remove
medicines from the home and reduce the
chance that others may accidentally take
the medicine.

Consult with a doctor before beginning
or ending medication.

If you take multiple medications, use

a pillbox to keep pills organized. The box
Medicines play important roles in permakes it easier to manage medications and sonal health. When used correctly, medicaserves as a reminder if you have or have tions are assets, but caution should always
not taken a medication on a given day.
be taken to ensure safe usage and storage
of any medications.
Fill all prescriptions at the same phar Store medications as instructed on the
Metro News Service
macy and develop a rapport with the label. The bathroom medicine cabinet may

Simple ways to maintain your mental acuity with a routine of diet and exercise
Many people know that a
combination of a healthy diet
and routine exercise is the
best way to maintain their
physical health. But what
about mental well-being?
Memory lapses are often
assumed to be an accepted
side effect of aging, but
such an assumption is incorrect, as there are many steps
men and women can take to
maintain their mental acuity
well into their golden years.

maintain healthy weights and

reduce their risk for potentially deadly ailments like diabetes and heart disease.
But cardiovascular exercise also can boost brain
power. Cardiovascular exercise pumps oxygen-rich
blood to the brain, and that
blood contains glucose that
can fuel brain cells.
Cardiovascular exercise
also strengthens blood vessels, which can help prevent potentially devastat Cardiovascular exercise ing diseases, such as stroke,
can help men and women that can have a lasting and

negative impact on cognitive structures in the brains

frontal lobe that are likefunction.
ly responsible for plan Many people need no ning, decision making and
reason to socialize, but those response control.
that do can now cite boost Naps can have a reening brain function as a great
reason to get together with ergizing effect on men and
women, but a study from
family and friends.
Routine socialization can German researchers also
keep a brain sharp by reduc- found that naps also can
ing its levels of cortisol, a improve memory.
In the study, researchpotentially destructive hormone brought on by stress.
ers divided participants into
Researchers also believe three groups: people who
that routine interaction with would stay awake for 60
other people stimulates minutes; people who would

Skaalen

sleep for six minutes; and

people who would sleep for
30 to 45 minutes.
After the hour was up, participants were given a word
recall test, and those who
slept performed better on the
test than those who hadnt.
But the development that
was perhaps most interesting
was that those who slept for
just six minutes performed
just as well on the test as
those who slept for far longer, leading researchers to
suggest that men and women
need not take long naps to

improve their memories.

A study from researchers
at Chicagos Rush University Medical Center found
that people who eat fish once
per week have a 60 percent
lower risk of developing
Alzheimers disease than
those who do not include
fish in their weekly diets.
Researchers credit this
lower risk to DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that is found
in both the brain and in fish
such as salmon and tuna.
Metro News Service

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March 19, 2015 - Young At Heart - Stoughton Courier Hub 15

Keep your heart running

strong into your golden years
Heart health should be
a concern for people of all
ages, but especially so for
men and women over 50.
Thats because, according to the American Heart
Association, even men and
women who are free of cardiovascular disease at age
50 are at a significant lifetime risk of developing the
disease.
But heart disease does not
have to be an accepted by
product of aging. For example, a 2014 study published
in the AHA journal Circulation found that maintaining
or increasing physical activity after age 65 can improve
the hearts well-being and
lower risk of heart attack.
In addition to increasing
physical activity as they
age, older men and women
who understand heart disease and learn to recognize its symptoms have a
greater chance of minimizing its effects and lowering
their risk of having a heart
attack.
Heart disease is a blanket
term used to describe a host
of conditions, so symptoms
vary depending on each
individual condition. The
following are some of the
more widely known conditions and their symptoms:

disease that may lead to

heart attack. The former
can be found by visiting
heart.org. Signs that you
may be heading toward a
heart attack include undue
fatigue, palpitations (the
sensation that your heart is
skipping a beat or beating
too rapidly), dyspnea (difficulty or labored breathing),
chest pain or discomfort
from increased activity.

Hypertension

Changing habits

Also known as high blood

pressure, hypertension
is a largely symptomless
form of heart disease. The
AHA notes that the idea
that hypertension produces
symptoms such as difficulty
sleeping, facial flushing,
nervousness, and sweating
is a misconception.
Symptoms typically do
not alert men and women
to the presence of hypertension, highlighting the
emphasis men and women
should place on routine visits to the doctors office,
where their blood pressure
can be taken.

Dont drink alcohol to

Heart healthy habits take
some effort, but men and excess
Like smoking, drinkwomen can protect their
hearts regardless of their ing alcohol to excess can
lead to a host of problems,
ages.
such as high blood pressure, arrhythmia and high
Get sufficient exercise
At least 30 minutes of cholesterol, each of which
exercise per day can protect increases your risk of heart
disease.
against disease.

Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia means your
heartbeat is irregular, and
men and women often mistakenly believe arrhythmia only afflicts those who
already have been diagnosed with heart disease or
have had a heart attack. But
arrhythmia can affect even
those men and women who
have healthy hearts and no
history of cardiovascular
disease.
Symptoms of arrhythmia can vary greatly, from
a single premature beat to
a series of premature beats
that occur in rapid succession. Arrhythmia that lasts
long enough to affect heart
function may include symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, fatigue, dizziness,
lightheadedness, shortness
of breath, and chest pain.

Photo submitted

Exercise is one option that can help thwart heart disease, which kills millions of people across the globe each year many of whom are
over 50. Men and women who learn about heart disease and how to reduce their risk stand a far greater chance of fighting the disease.

cholesterol, salt and saturated fat promotes heart

health.

Lose weight
Being overweight or
obese is a major risk factor for heart disease. If
you have already started
to exercise daily and eat
a more heart-healthy diet,
then youre on your way to
losing weight. Consult your
Heart attack
Include heart-healthy physician if diet and exercise dont seem to be helpThe symptoms of a heart foods in your diet
A diet that is rich in fruits ing you to shed pounds.
attack are different than
the symptoms of heart and vegetables and low in
Quit smoking
Smoking increases your
risk for a host of ailments,
including heart disease.
Quitting is a great way to
start getting your heart and
other parts of your body
back on track.

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16 - Young At Heart - Stoughton Courier Hub - March 19, 2015

Rebounding from a late start to saving for retirement

Some people do not
have the ability to begin
saving for retirement early
on.
Others may have
brushed retirement savings aside for so long that
they are now worried that
its too late to begin socking away money for retirement.
While its best to start
saving for retirement as
early as possible, the good
news is that its never too
late to start planning for
retirement.
If your 40th birthday has
long passed and youre

finally thinking ahead to

Investigate an IRA and
retirement, consider these find out if there are any
catch-up strategies.
government incentives.
Depending on your
Research tax advantages age, you may be able to
deposit more money into
in savings plans
such accounts than other
A f i n a n c i a l p l a n n e r investors.
can point you in the right
direction, or consult with Cut back on expenses
your employer about
Cutting back on unnecemployee programs.
essary
expenses is a great
Deposit money into a
way
to
save more money
401(k) or 403(b) plan or
another retirement vehi- for retirement.
Figure out where you
cle.
Jump on any opportuni- c a n s a v e s o m e m o n e y
ties when your employer that you can then allocate
to retirement savings.
matches invested funds.
Maybe you can reduce

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While its best to start saving for

retirement as early as possible, the good
news is that its never too late to start
planning for retirement
insurance coverage on
an older car or raise your
deductible?
Downsize cable packages or skip that costly
cup of coffee on the way
to work.
Perhaps its time to
look for a smaller, less
expensive home or a
compact car instead of an
SUV.
Any money saved now
will benefit you when the
time comes to bid farewell to the workforce.

more people are delaying

their retirement, which
also gives them more
time to save for that day
when they do call it quits.
If you want to work
less, discuss and negotiate a phased retirement
with your bosses that
allows you to stick with
your employer but gradually work fewer hours
until you retire completely.
You may be able to
work part-time for several years and retire when
youre most comfortable.

before retirement, which

leaves lots of time to
grow your retirement
savings.
But you may want to
consider more aggressive funds that can help
you catch up more quickly than less aggressive
investments.
Just know that aggressive funds may also leave
you susceptible to substantial losses.

Dont amass debt

If youre saving for

retirement but only paying minimum balances
on your credit cards, then
youre not really saving.
Pay down credit card
debt before you begin
to set aside money for
retirement.
Delaying retirement
Delay your retirement
planning may mean you
have to work a little
Many people who retire
harder to build up a solid
f i n d t h e m s e l v e s b o r e d Consider more
reserve. But by following
and looking for ways to aggressive funds
fill their time.
Even if you are 50 you some financial tips and
As a result, more and still have a few decades persevering, you can still
enjoy retirement with
security.
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March 19, 2015 - Young At Heart - Stoughton Courier Hub 17

Team Events
(team registration
required):

Basketball
Softball
Volleyball

Other Events
8-ball Pool
Basketball Skills
Bean Bag Toss
Bowling
Cards (Cribbage,
Bridge,
Sheepshead,
Euchre)
Dartball
Golf
Horseshoes
Pickleball
Swimming
From left, volleyball is one of more than 40 sports included in the games; athletes compete in three-on-three basketball at the Wisconsin Senior Games

Senior Games: Two-week event grows over the past three decades
and co-ed volleyball, but
we dropped them last year
because we couldnt get
balloon toss.
H e n n e s s e y s a i d t h e enough participation, he
games have grown steadily over the past 32 years,
although there were times
when participation had
declined and it was hard to
recruit organizers.
But the mission has
remained the same: to provide an outlet for seniors to
compete against individuals in a similar age group.
Its about competition
and camaraderie, and its a
social event, he said.
Competition will take
place in nine Dane County communities: Fitchburg, Madison, Middleton,
Monona, Mount Horeb,
Stoughton, Sun Prairie,
Verona and Waunakee.
Hennessey, 72, said
he got involved with the
senior games in 2000, playing three-on-three basketball. He recalled that games
were not well attended that
year and there was talk of
discontinuing them.
From out of the blue, he
got a telephone call from
one of the organizers saying he had been recommended to take it over as
event chairperson, which
Hennessey did in 2002.
He joined the board
of directors in 2004 and
became board president
two years later.
Hennessey said he is
motivated by a chance to
compete in a social and
friendly environment. This
year hell play basketball
and golf.
Weve really grown
over the years, Hennessey
said. Back in the 90s,
they had like 26 events,
and now we have up to 48
events.
He explained that events
get added or removed from
the annual games depending on their popularity.
We did have bocce ball
Continued from page 1

said. Were up to almost

The seniors really do and we try to pair them up
500 competitors, and weve seem to enjoy competing with comparable competireally upgraded our venues for Gold, Silver and Bronze tion.
where the events are held.
medals, Hennessey said,

Table Tennis
Tennis
Track and Field
Trap and Skeet
Wii Bowling

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Photos submitted