Serving a traditional Thanksgiving spread, including turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing and dinner rolls, attendees promptly lined up at the door before the luncheon was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. For the third year in-a-row, Rotary Club of West Sacramento Centennial members donated more than $1,000 to offset the cost of food for the event. Photo courtesy of Ciara Cumiskey, City of West Sacramento

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - More than 40 West Sacramento senior citizens gathered at the Community Center on Nov. 13 for a Thanksgiving luncheon hosted by the city’s Parks and Recreation department. 

Serving a traditional Thanksgiving spread, including turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing and dinner rolls, attendees promptly lined up at the door before the luncheon was scheduled to start at 11 a.m. For the third consecutive year, Rotary Club of West Sacramento Centennial members donated more than $1,000 to offset the cost of food for the event. 

Recreation coordinator Lucy Ramos for West Sacramento’s Parks and Recreation Department said that the luncheon has been taking place for more than 20 years, including the 15 years that the city has occupied the current community center, with the exclusion of 2020 for the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

The next Senior Program special event on the city’s Calendar is scheduled to be a Christmas Card Exchange from Dec. 1 to Dec. 22, taking place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Photo courtesy of Ciara Cumiskey, City of West Sacramento

“We have games, like pin the tail on the turkey, and the seniors love it,” Ramos said. “We have a blast and then we have raffle prizes. We put all the seniors' names in a basket and then we pull their names out and they get to pick whatever prize they want.”

Raffle gifts included gift cards, blankets and other items, Ramos said. The city’s Active Aging program, a city-wide initiative to provide activities for seniors, welcomed all West Sacramento residents over the age of 50 as well as non residents. 

“Not all of our seniors have all of their family to cook for them,” Ramos said. “I think that's special that they get to come and have it here with their friends and their peers, and we just cater for them as much as possible and make them happy and they get to socialize here and that's really important.”

Michelle Jans, a West Sacramento resident for more than 11 years, said she was most excited about the community, people sharing and visiting for the senior luncheon. The food is delicious every year, Jans said, and picking a favorite item is nearly impossible. She sat with West Sac resident Duan Maciel, who said it was her first time at the event.

West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero was in attendance, volunteering to pass out food to the senior guests. She said the Thanksgiving luncheon was a great opportunity to showcase the dedicated time and effort within the community, saying “that’s what our Rotary Club is all about.”

Recreation supervisor of arts, Black Box Theater and special events, Sam Brinkhuis, played guitar for the luncheon attendees and said the event was a great way to give back to the community’s seniors because they are significant members of the center.  

West Sacramento’s Active Aging Program, also known as Senior Program, are programs for West Sacramento seniors and are available during weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Community Center. Photo courtesy of Ciara Cumiskey, City of West Sacramento

“It’s just a nice opportunity to have fellowship and have a nice gathering, and be thankful for one another,” Brinkhuis said. “We’ve got kind of a rainy day today but that didn’t stop us from getting together and enjoying the day.

West Sacramento’s Active Aging Program, also known as Senior Program, are programs for West Sacramento seniors and are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays in the Community Center. The center is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

To learn more about the Active Aging Program, visit https://www.cityofwestsacramento.org/government/departments/parks-recreation/adults/active-aging.

To learn more about the City of West Sacramento, keep up with upcoming events or find city resources, visit https://www.cityofwestsacramento.org/home. 

To learn more about the Rotary Club of West Sacramento Centennial, visit the organization’s website at https://portal.clubrunner.ca/9129 or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/203970256303851/. 

The next Senior Program special event on the city’s Calendar is scheduled to be a Christmas Card Exchange from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 to Dec. 22. Registration is not required and the event is free, according to the city’s website. The website said the city is looking for donations of blank holiday cards.