ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — The George P. Thames Senior Center in Robertsdale is starting 2011 off right with a flurry of activities including a Fish Fry on Saturday, January 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the PZK Civc Center.

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus as a fundraiser to benefit the center, plates will be $ 7 and will include baked beans, cole slaw and a drink, senior center director Sarah Duncan said. Children’s plates are also available and tickets are being pre sold now and can be purchased at the senior center. Orders can also be picked up curbside.

This is the first fish fry the KOC has done for the center and Duncan is hoping it will be a huge success. “We are so excited about this fish fry and really would love to see a great turnout for it. Our center really needs it.”

Open to any senior citizen age 50 and above, the center offers a wide variety of activities and events for every taste. Beginning on Wednesday, January 5, “Birthday Bash” starts back up at noon where the everyone brings a sack lunch and the center provides the cake and ice cream, Duncan said.

Potluck lunches will also begin again on Wednesday, January 19 at noon. Everyone brings a large dish or $5 and listens to a guest speaker. “We are just bringing these back and it is a fun time for everyone to get to see their friends and make new ones. We will have these every third Wednesday,” Duncan said.

They also have a “lunch bunch” gathering the second Monday of every month where they travel to a different location around the county or even to Pensacola sometimes, Duncan said. This month they are going to Don Carols Mexican restaurant in Malbis on Monday, January 10. They meet at 10 a.m. and it costs $3 to ride the bus.

Staying busy and sometimes open seven days a week because of people renting the building ($75 rental fee) for special occasions, Duncan said they have something going on everyday, just about. “Our people are very active and all over the place. They are very busy in the community and their churches. We like to keep them busy and they enjoy the social time with their friends.”

In addition to the special events going on at the center, there are regular activities occurring daily or weekly. Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Becky Hayes, a retired nurse, leads a low-impact exercise class for 15-30 people at 8:30 a.m. “It keeps their heart rate up but it’’s not too strenuous. Keeps them moving,” Duncan said. They also have dominoes at 10 a.m.

Also on Mondays, they have games at 1:30 p.m. and Bingo at 5:30 p.m. On Tuesdays, they have “Sit and Sew” at 6 p.m. and Wednesdays is “Pantry Bingo” at 1:30 p.m. where you can win something from the pantry (on the 5th Wednesday, bring a wrapped gift for mystery bingo). On Thursdays, they have quilting at 6 p.m.

Duncan said they are also going to start having blood pressure checks on the third Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. The first one, however, will be on Wednesday, January 5 at 2:30 p.m.

There is also a Kazoo Band and a dance team called “The Rockinettes” that perform at different functions around the area. “We have about 12 people (ages 60-84) in the band and six ladies in the dance team that have been performing for a couple of years. They have a lot of fun together and practice once ot twice a month.”

The average age of participants at the senior center is 75, Duncan said, but the age range is from 58-97. “Some of them are still driving and living by themselves but for the ones who can’t drive anymore, we have transportation to pick them up that’s wheelchair accessible. All they have to do is call the center.

Funding for the center comes from money budgeted by the City of Robertsdale , various fundraisers and activities they have during the year and community sponsors like Vision Bank, Pen Air Credit Union and Willy T’s, Duncan said.

“We need more space. This building is almost 25 years old and we ae getting too big for it. I have a Wii game system I want to start using but not sure where I’m going to put the television to play it.” Duncan said.

Coming to the center as director 10 years ago, Duncan has seen tremendous growth in the senior population in the area. “ I have lived in Robertsdale for 27 years and remember when this property was just a field, So much has changed and we have gotten so many more retired people moving into the county.”

Duncan said he would like to get more community sponsors for their activities so they could provide more. “I would love to start a computer class sometime.”

In addition to the center in Robertsdale, Duncan said they try to get together with people from the Orange Beach and Fairhope centers too. “Whenever we have a big event, we try to invite the other centers to participate. It’s fun for us to be able to socialize with friends from all over the county.”

Coming up in February, Duncan said they are going to have a Soup Cook-Off and a Valentines Banquet and a Mardi Gras Ball in March. And all these events couldn’t happen without the 12 volunteers who help out everyday. “I also have three ladies from Goodwill Easter Seals who help me out and it has been wonderful.”

To find out more about the events at the center, contact Duncan at (251) 947-8973 or (251) 947-2360 or visit the website at www.robertsdale.org.