On June 7, the Olds and District Evergreen Centre will mark its 25th anniversary in Olds.To celebrate, the Olds and District Evergreen Club will be hosting a catered dinner featuring a performance by the Centennial Fiddlers, a local 10-member ensemble aged in their 70s and 80s.Also performing will be a country music singer and impersonator.According to Linda Reade, president of the club, the event has been sold out.Over the years, the hall has been a gathering place for seniors to keep them active and healthy.The hall is also used by the larger community and has hosted weddings, birthdays and fundraisers.Its history is tied to that of the club, which started in the 1970s as seniors trying to get together for dinners.They shuffled across multiple venues, meeting at the United Church, Olds College and by 1976, the recreation centre, Reade said.To raise money for the hall, the club used to sell pies and buns with chili on top at fairs. Funds also came from town grants and rummage sales, she continued.“Little amounts of money like that went together (with) lots of hard work to get this thing built,” she said.Reade has been with the club for 11 years and said her most memorable moments were simply day-to-day activities such as carpet bowling, square dancing and potluck meals.“It's a valuable part of the community and it allows seniors to stay active, healthy and that's great,” Reade said about the building's importance to the town.“The way the health care is, they're encouraging people to stay in their own homes and keep active so by coming to the Evergreen, they can do that. They can come and do their walking or their stretch yoga or carpet bowling and keep their joints active and be able to stay in their homes longer.”[email protected]
"It's a valuable part of the community and it allows seniors to stay active, healthy and that's great."Linda ReadeOlds and District Evergreen Club president
