An important Bluffton senior citizen turns 50 this year

An important Bluffton senior citizen celebrates 50 years on Dec. 7 – and wait a minute, how can a senior citizen be only 50?

Answer: It’s the Bluffton Senior Citizen Association.

The December event is a combined Christmas, anniversary and annual meeting party, according to Tonya Meyer, director. It will take place at The Centre at Bluffton and additional details are still being put together.

The event includes a lunch, vote on board members, an annual memorial service and celebration of some of its members reaching 90 years.

Here are some additional events on the November and December center calendar.
Open the center's newsletter attached below for additional event information.

Christmas garage sale Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7. Donations are being accepted until Nov. 4. Volunteers are needed. Contact the center if interested.

Community meals are Thursday, Nov. 5, hosted by Ebenezer Mennonite, and Thursday, Nov. 19, hosted by St. John’s United Church of Christ. Both begin at 6 p.m. and are drive-thru events that take place in the parking lot behind the center.

The movie “Judy, Judy Garland: The Legend Behind the Rainbow,” will be shown at 1:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13. Reservations are required and the showing is limited to eight people.

November’s toenail clinic is at 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 23. Appointments are required. The cost is $10.

Fudge and fruitcakes - Due to covid-19 the center is unable to make peanut brittle this year. But, it now offers Gethsemani Farms fudge and fruitcakes.

“Peanut brittle has always been one of the center’s biggest fundraisers, a project that started in the early 1970s,” said Tonya Meyer, center director.

“To make the candy, 30 or more senior citizens need to stand shoulder to shoulder for several hours, which is not advisable during the pandemic.” 

To substitute the lost income from the peanut brittle, the  Center is partnering with Gethsemani Farms in Trappist, Kentucky, to offer fudge and fruitcakes. 

All of the fruitcake and some of the fudge has bourbon in the recipe as the Abbey is located in Kentucky Bourbon Country. 

The half cakes sell for $21 and one pound of fudge sells for $20.50. There are four flavors of fudge: 
• Chocolate walnut 
• Kentucky bourbon butter walnut 
• Kentucky bourbon chocolate pecan  
• Mint julep chocolate bourbon fudge 

The center has a limited quantity of the product, but buying from the center saves consumers on shipping costs. 

The Bluffton Senior Center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays in November and December 9 a.m. to noon.