Giveaways, free admission, draw crowds to Senior Expo

More than a hundred Cape Girardeau residents visited the first-ever Senior Expo at Osage Community Centre Friday.

Attendees could visit more than 20 booths dedicated to various aspects of senior life. Booths included medical supply companies, assisted living facilities, medical treatment centers, chiropractors and organizations that assist seniors.

On Friday there were two demonstrations that broke up the routine of booth visits. At 10 a.m., there was a tai chi demonstration, and at 2 p.m., a healthy cooking program was shown.

To attract more people to the event, admission is free and River Radio is giving away a $2,200 electric scooter and a vacation package. At 4 p.m. today, the winners will be announced.

Meg Davis, a marketing specialist at Mississippi River Radio and chief organizer of the Senior Expo, said she took inspiration from the annual Women's Expo, which has been held in Cape Girardeau for about 15 years. She figures that the increasing needs of the baby boomer generation warrant events like this.

"The baby boomers are going to be a third-world population in three to five years," Davis said. "There's a lot of money spent and a lot of services these individuals are going to need. This is a group that a lot of businesses want to get up close and personal with."

Anticipating growth

The foot traffic at the event was lower than River Radio would have liked, but they anticipated low attendence because this is the event's first year. In the future, they anticipate it growing much larger.

J. Gayle Gorham, marketing and public relations director at Cheatau Girardeau, said the expo provided a great opportunity for businesses who catered to seniors to get the word out on their products or services.

"This gives me the chance to market Cheatau Girardeau to people who maybe don't realize we have an accredited facility," Gorham said.

Saint Francis Medical Center, one of the expo's major sponsors, operated the largest booth at the event. They had more than 20 employees from different medical sectors and provided three services for visitors -- blood pressure tests, breast cancer risk assessments and stroke risk assessments.

"We have a lot of different services that are geared toward the older generation and we're trying to make those known," said Nicole Thieret, accounting services coordinator at Saint Francis. "We're getting to not only educate them, but also sit down and stress the importance of monitoring their own health."

Frank and Nelda Wilkinson have attended many events like the Senior Expo in Texas. The Cape Girardeau residents enjoy the free pens and other items handed out by sponsors, and appreciate the opportunity to evaluate their future needs.

May be a regular event

"Most of us don't think we'll ever need nursing homes and all that ... until we can't get around," Frank Wilkinson said.

Nelda Wilkinson said older people need to be aware of the types of services available to them.

"I'm always looking for something like this," Nelda Wilkinson said. "I hope it continues."

Davis said in the future she would like to see the Senior Expo turn into a regular community event, in the vein of the Women's Expo.

"Right now, we're trying to get a feel for what people want," Davis said. "This benefits the community."

The Expo continues today. Visitors will be able to receive free chair massages between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

sludwig@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 211