Come let the cool, golden melodious tones of Hilltopper Jazz set your mood this Friday night at the Betty Ehart Senior Center. Courtesy/LARSO 

By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
LARSO

While it is not over, we appear to have some semblance of a graduated return to a graduated normal-ish.

May is Older Americans Month and the local senior centers will celebrate throughout the month. It kicks off with a community concert, brought to us by the Los Alamos Hilltopper Jazz Band, after award winning teacher, Ryan Finn made the offer.

There will be indoor and outdoor seating 6-8 p.m. this Friday at the Betty Ehart Senior Center. While masks are not required, they are welcome and respected. The community is invited, knowing you have no idea if people are vaccinated, so many COVID protocols including sanitizer, social distancing and others remain in place.

The center will use the opportunity to fundraise for youth and seniors, throughout the night. Pre-packaged drinks and snacks will be sold, to benefit both organizations. While there is no admission fee, the opportunity to make donations will exist by passing the proverbial hat and rocking it old school by throwing donations in the music case of the artists.

Local and regional community partners will be on hand to educate about services available to the community. They include Mesa Public Library, the State Technology Program with help for low vision and low hearing community members, Home Instead, the BeeHive, LARC, Visiting Nurses, Nurses with Heart, Aegis, Ambercare, Community Services and more. The booths will be on display and set up throughout the night, if you prefer a more low-key crowd.

Local Girl Scouts will be kicking off a large community program called Shiny Hineys. They will collect disposable underwear for adults, larger and 2xl sizes appreciated, as well as diapers for babies, cleansing products, wipes and anything that boosts the bottom and the morale of local families. This community project will benefit the tiniest tots, senior citizens and people with disabilities in and around our community. Those donations can be made all month.

You can also make a donation of breakfast items and snacks, to donate to the new senior center pantries. To learn more, contact the senior center at 505.662.8920.