Thursday is a special day for seniors at the annual Town and Country Days fair to be held next week at the Wetzel County 4-H grounds.

On Aug. 13 senior citizens age 65 and up are admitted to the fairgrounds free that day from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Then of course they can stay for the entire day of fun, but especially for the Senior Citizens Day activities that begin with a health fair from 8:30-10 a.m. Some of the stations at the fair will be Anwar Eye Center doing eye screenings, Wetzel County Committee On Aging taking blood sugar levels, and Hospice Care taking blood pressures. Like all of the senior events that day, the health screenings are free and will be held in the air conditioned and handicap accessible Mollohan Center on the fair grounds, the Wetzel County 4-H Camp. A Veterans Administration representative will also be there to answer questions and offer assistance.

Farmer’s Market will also be available at the Senior Day activities. Recipients must be 60 years or older, have valid identification, and live in Wetzel County. A total of $20 worth of coupons are given per household. There are income guidelines.

Distributions to eligible persons are also made on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the New Martinsville Senior Center,145 Paducah Drive, from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. For more information, call the WCCOA, 455-3220.

Bingo will be played from 10:30-11:45 a.m. As always, the games are free and seniors will be playing for candy bar prizes.

After prayer, lunch will be served and door prizes given away from noon to 1 p.m. Lunch is provided by the senior citizens centers in the county. This year the menu will be chicken salad, ham salad, and cheese salad on croissants as well as chips. The side dishes will be provided by the various centers as follows: baked beans, Pine Grove; potato salad, Paden City; fruit salad, Hundred. There will also be cake provided by Town and Country Days. Also, organizers note that the food will be served by two lines in an effort to make the lunch go quickly.

This is the sixth year the event has had such a tone. In the past Town and Country Days had a special day for senior citizens and the WCCOA held a picnic for their seniors each September. But five years ago they decided to work together on a combined event and the result has been very positive. “It started out with about 90 people and has grown to over 400!” said Mary Ash, WCCOA director.

“It’s been very successful,” reiterated Merle Lemasters, Town and Country Days president.

After lunch seniors will be entertained by The Mountain State Bluegrass Express and NoJoes Clown Circus will be stopping by at noon.

Organizers remind everyone the events are for every senior citizen at the fair that day, not just those who are part of the senior citizens groups, and it isn’t even restricted to those who live in Wetzel County.

The final event of the senior activities in the Mollohan Center is the crowning of the Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year. The winner will be a person who has made a significant difference to the community, however they do not need to be a member of a senior center.

The committee who selects the winner is made up of a member of the Town and Country Days board, WCCOA, one of the senior citizens staff members, and an elected official. The review of nominations is done anonymously. The winner will receive a plaque from S&S Jewelry and $50 Wal-Mart gift cards.

Other events at Town and Country Days on Aug. 14 include apple butter making, chainsaw demonstration, Bingo, Deshler Amusements, FFA/4-H auction at 7 p.m., 4×4 truck pulls at 7 p.m., and a local talent show at 6:30 p.m.

Those who do not have transportation to the fair are welcome to ride a senior citizens’ van-two are handicap accessible. To arrange for transportation call the New Martinsville center, 455-3220; Pine Grove, 889-3333; or Hundred, 775-5344. The van service is free with no donations expected that day.

Also, for those seniors who drive themselves and park in the fair’s lot, a van will be located there to take them directly to the Mollohan Center.