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There is a buzz around several Saskatchewan retirement homes thanks to a national games week designed to spark the inner athlete in the people living there.
Residents of All Seniors Care Living Centres across Canada — including Saskatoon and Regina — are taking part in the 16th annual All Seniors Care Senior Games.
Events include a hallway walk and roll, bean bag toss, petanque au tout, cornhole, ladder ball, card games, bocce, shuffleboard, Jeopardy and bingo. There are also opening and closing ceremonies.
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Participants will be involved in Saskatchewan at both Saskatoon’s Preston Park and Regina’s College Park residences.
“It’s just an exciting week, is what it is. It’s something we look forward to,” said Dawn Visvanathan, the chef de mission of her Regina building and a participant in the Games for all five years she’s been a resident.
Events run from Feb. 3-7 at all 29 of the All Seniors Care Living Centres in Canada. Winners of certain events in each home go to a final round to compete against the other winners for national titles.
“For months, our residents have been practising and preparing,” said All Seniors Care executive vice-president of operations Joshua Kuhl.
Shelly Sundholm, executive director of College Park Retirement Residences I, says she sees more seniors join in on the weekly recreational sessions held throughout the year because of this national event.
“I think it really, truly brings people out of their shells,” she added.
It’s an event that residents and staff look forward to for months, and the buildings are filled with excitement and anticipation during event week.
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Rose Fries, chef de mission of her College Park building, said the event is meaningful both for the community and for participants whose family attend and cheer them on.
“It’s the opportunity that it gives residents and their families to take part in and be able to enjoy the event,” Fries said.
“It breaks up the winter and gives them other things to think about, and it makes good memories.”
While not everyone competes, almost everyone in each building at least cheers on their fellow residents or watches the various activities. There is less focus on outdoing each other and more on feeling a sense of pride in themselves and for each other, Sundholm said.
“Everybody celebrates everybody’s win. I always say we’re a family here, and we celebrate together and we mourn together,” Sundholm added, as she looked down at a memorial card of a past resident on her desk.
“And this is an opportunity to celebrate together.”
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