The Senior Resource Alliance is presenting Growing Bolder Day – a free, community-wide, intergenerational celebration of aging – to promote the importance of active lifestyle, social engagement, purpose, creativity and regular health screenings. The event will be hosted at the Center for Health & Wellbeing in Winter Park, Florida on Saturday, October 7th during the International Council on Active Aging’s 20th anniversary of Active Aging Week (October 2nd-8th).
The community is invited to participate in a day full of interactive activities including an intergenerational Wisdom Walk, social gaming, yoga, free professional portraits, healthy nutrition demonstration, balance workshop and much more. The event is free and open to all community members.
“Growing Bolder Day is designed to celebrate our local seniors and encourage all community members to embrace the process of aging,” said Karla Radka, president and CEO of Senior Resource Alliance. “The unprecedented age wave will continue to put increased stress on families, as well as the state and local senior service providers. To alleviate this, our goal is to raise awareness of what can be done at every age to prepare, and the resources we have available for local seniors and their families to help them age happily and healthily.”
Infused with energy, activity, education and entertainment, Growing Bolder Day is designed to appeal to all ages with interactive activities including an intergenerational Wisdom Walk, social gaming, yoga, tai chi, a Growing Bolder Film Fest, free professional portraits, Rock Stars of Aging® longevity forum, healthy nutrition demonstration, balance workshop, brain health seminar, inspiring speakers, engaging demonstrations and more.
While smashing ageist stereotypes and celebrating the nearly endless opportunities for lifelong learning, Growing Bolder Day also underscores the reality that a large and growing number of older adults in our community are struggling and the many dedicated organizations working tirelessly to meet their needs require community support.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90% of U.S. healthcare dollars are spent treating largely preventable chronic illness and only 3% goes toward prevention.
“Countless studies confirm that individuals have a large degree of control over their health and wellbeing as they age,” said Growing Bolder CEO Marc Middleton. “By our actions, we can delay and prevent many of the illnesses that older Floridians suffer from, including cancer, diabetes, cardiac disease and Alzheimer’s. Inspiring daily lifestyle choices that increase our health span is the ultimate win-win. An improved quality of life for individuals and a reduced care burden on families, state and local senior service providers.”
Florida has the largest percentage of adults 65 and older in the nation (21%), and as the state’s senior population continues to increase, Florida’s future is linked to the health and wellbeing of its elder population.
“The Winter Park Health Foundation is thrilled to host such an inspiring, intergenerational event at the Center for Health & Wellbeing,” said Patty Maddox, Winter Park Health Foundation President & CEO. “Our goal in the development of the Center was to promote community wellbeing and we look forward to showcasing its variety of wholeness, fitness and medical services.”
This October, Senior Resource Alliance is also hosting a “Matter of Balance” fall prevention workshop for Central Florida seniors. From October 3rd through October 26th, community members ages 65 and up are invited to participate in the free 8-session workshop here in Orange County, which will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30pm to 3:30pm at Jessie Brock Community Center in Winter Garden.
Senior Resource Alliance (SRA) provides access to many services and programs of the state and federal government, available to senior citizens, their caregivers and family members. SRA also is an objective clearinghouse for information and services offered by local, state, and national organizations. SRA serves Brevard County, Orange County, Osceola County, and Seminole County.
Growing Bolder is an Orlando-based company that engages with over 200 million 50+ adults annually on television, radio, podcasts, magazine, and multiple digital and social media channels. The Center for Health & Wellbeing is a state-of-the-art community center carefully designed to offer the best health and wellness programs, empowering healthy and active lifestyles. A collaboration between the Winter Park Health Foundation and AdventHealth, CHWB supports the desire from both organizations to make a more significant, longer-lasting impact on the whole-person health of our communities.
Active Aging Week, started in 2003 by the International Council on Active Aging, is an annual weeklong campaign aimed at celebrating and highlighting the positive aspects of aging. The overarching goal of Active Aging Week is to challenge society’s negative perceptions of aging by demonstrating that older adults can thrive in all aspects of life. Active Aging Week seeks to provide older adults with opportunities to engage in wellness activities and exercise in a safe, supportive environment, promoting the benefits of healthy, active lifestyles throughout the lifespan.
