News

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Office of Online Services and Education Outreach (OSEO) and Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East are among the participants in an upcoming event celebrating the aging population and their families.

The inaugural Love a Senior Day will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, June 10 at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Belleville. The event is sponsored by the Uncle Gene Foundation, Gateway Grizzlies, Ameren of Illinois, St. Clair County Community Action Agency, Wilks and Associates, St. Clair County Transit District and ClearCaptions.

During the event, local providers of services, activities and residential options for senior citizens will be featured. The Love a Senior Day model was conceived by Carol Chiarito, founder of the non-profit, Love a Senior Company.

SBDC client Mike Stith, founder of One Legacy, LLC, has played an integral role in seeing the event come to fruition. He reached out to the SBDC to garner support from the university and local business community.

“Mike Stith has worked diligently to create a valuable network of people and resources,” said IL SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE Director Jo Ann DiMaggio May. “I am privileged to be part of his network and enjoy supporting Mike and his business endeavor. The SBDC looks forward to participating in the Love a Senior Day event. Several of our SBDC clients are joining as vendors in support of this one-of-a-kind event.”

DiMaggio May also connected Stith with SIUE’s OSEO, which offers services and resources that support the University’s academic units, community and corporate partners and learners of all ages. Among the programs OSEO representatives will promote during the event is the Lifelong Learning Institute. The Lifelong Learning Institute promotes personal growth centered on a love of learning. Expert presenters provide insight on a range of topics, covering history, culture, art, current events, health and nutrition.

“I’ve been working with families for so long, and I see that sometimes as we age, we forget we have choices for our life’s future,” said Chiarito. “The problem is that we don’t really know these things until it’s too late, and then we wished we had known about them. My team and I started Love a Senior Day, because we want to focus on bringing together available services to one place, without the traditional model of a senior expo. Instead, we will celebrate our greatest generation. Our motto for guests is “where aging meets awesome!”

Participation is open to individuals of all ages. Admission is a donation of $1 or more per person, or free online at loveasenior.org/Belleville. For more information, email info@loveasenior.org or call 833-588-6977.