Twenty-seven Seniors and Friends of Fort Oglethorpe gather Wednesdays at Constitution Hall for cards, bingo and lunch. Seniors of all ages and their friends are welcome to hang out from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The city of Fort Oglethorpe sponsors the meetings, so seniors pay $5 annually to join, said Seniors and Friends Director Peggy Stanfield, who, at age 76, is herself a senior. She lives in Fort Oglethorpe.
“Joining this group is the best buy in town,” Stanfield said. “Normally the Fort Oglethorpe Fire Department team comes to Constitution Hall to provide free blood pressure and blood sugar checks on Wednesdays. We order hamburgers for the seniors. We also serve coffee, tea, soft drinks, chips, popcorn and cookies.”
The Catoosa County Library donates a box of books to the Seniors and Friends for the book shelf at Constitution Hall, she added. When the seniors finish reading the books, Stanfield takes them to seniors living at Patterson Place in Fort Oglethorpe.
“I went to the Fort Oglethorpe City Council awhile back when I was in my 50s to request that the city start a senior center for my mother to join,” said Stanfield. “The Council asked me to start it, so I said OK. Constitution Hall was built as a voting precinct and senior center. We started out with 40 to 50 seniors weekly and now we average 25 to 30 weekly.”
Fellow original group members Dura Byrd and Martha Butts continue to attend the senior gatherings with Stanfield.