PICTURE A bunch of 60-and-over year olds working out on Tuesday mornings to the sound of reggae music under the keen tutelage of a 30-odd year old fitness instructor.
Every Tuesday morning at 7 a.m., the senior citizens of the St. James Cathedral Church in Spanish Town meet in the hall next to the church for worship, aerobics and fellowship.
The group comprises approximately 70 persons who come mainly from the church with a few members of the community attending as well. The day starts out with worship and preliminaries at 7 a.m. followed by aerobics at 10 a.m. The group then cools down and enjoys a brunch together and then they all participate in activities such as fun and games or art and craft.
President of the group, Mrs. Lorel Stewart says that group meetings provide an opportunity for elderly members of the church to keep active and well, some of whom are over 80 years old. The meetings are a real social event which the members look forward to.
The idea is the brainchild of church members Mrs. Fearon, a nurse practitioner who thought there should be an activity in place for elderly members which caters to wellness and fitness needs.
The group has an annual outing and last year's trip was to the Rockfort Mineral Bath. Stewart says it was such a success that group members have opted to visit the Bath again this year.
That's the story on this week's Service Clubs page on www.Go-Portmore.com. The newest community website launched by The Gleaner Company in association with Jamaica National and Sangster's Book Stores, the website so far, has generated some good reports. "I am from Portmore, (Garveymeade) and am excited to see the launching of this page," is the comment from one visitor in the USA. Another exclaims, "Give Him the highest praises Hallelujah" and yet another says, "It shows places in St. Catherine where I don't know."
So, if you haven't yet checked out the site, there's a lot that you're missing out on. Local news, educational highlights, personality and business profiles as well as fun & games, can all be found on www.Go-Portmore.com.
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