Senior center hosting county-wide BBQ

The Blaine Senior Center has invited all Whatcom County senior centers to an upcoming barbeque lunch.

The lunch will take place on Friday, June 21 at 11:30 a.m. The senior center has invited the Bellingham, Everson, Ferndale, Lynden, Point Roberts, Sumas and Welcome/Deming senior centers to attend, as a chance for everyone to get together on the first official day of summer.

“I think it’s just a way we can all connect as a unit, talk about what we do and what we have and show people what we offer,” said Kathy Sitker, director of the Blaine Senior Center. “I just think it’s important that we all work together as a community representing seniors.”

It is the first time that the Blaine Senior Center is hosting an event like this. In March, Lynden’s senior center hosted a gathering for the county’s senior centers, while the Ferndale and Bellingham senior centers plan to host similar events later this year.

The idea originated at a meeting that Sitker had with the Lynden and Ferndale senior center directors. “The gal in Lynden decided it would be nice if we did this quarterly,” she said. “Blaine’s turn is this quarter.”

For the March gathering hosted by Lynden, the attendees included at least six seniors from Blaine and five from Ferndale. Sitker said she hopes for an even better turnout this time around. “It’s just something we’ve started and we’ll see how it goes,” she said.

The menu on June 21 will include hamburgers, hot dogs and possibly watermelon. There may also be a performance by the bluegrass group that plays every Saturday at the senior center. The group of musicians includes singers and entertainers of all ages, and they recently performed at the Solstice senior residence on Old Fairhaven Parkway in Bellingham.