Kosciusko Community Senior Services will host its first Bike/Car Show and Charity Ride Fundraiser in September, followed by its second Run/Walk for Seniors in October.
The bike and car show is Sept. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Warsaw Eagles, 1400 W. Center St. The charity ride departs at 11:30 a.m., and awards will be presented at 1:30 p.m.
Entry fees are $15 for either the show or ride or $20 for both.
The walk and run is Oct. 13 starting at 7 a.m. at the Kosciusko Community Senior Activity Center, 800 N. Park Ave., Warsaw.
There will be a 10K and 5K run, with an entry fee of $22, and a 5K and 1K walk, with a fee of $10. Awards will be given for top times in different age groups, and door prizes also will be given.
Registration forms for both are available at the activity center. For more information, contact Director April Baxter at 574-268-2132. The aim of both events is to help keep seniors rolling, Baxter said.
“Our main concern is keeping our van transportation open for seniors,” she said, noting that seniors use the van service for such needs as going to doctor appointments and grocery shopping. “We keep them moving independently.”
Maintenance on the four vans is their biggest expense, Baxter said. Routine service like oil changes and tires cost about $12,000 per year for each vehicle, and their fuel costs have gone up about 22 percent from last year.
In addition to rising costs, she said donations have been going down.
“The economy has greatly affected our seniors,” she said. “We do not ask our seniors for a specific amount, otherwise they cancel their doctor’s appointments, we found out.”
She added praise for their van drivers, who she said helps seniors with carrying groceries and other tasks.
KCSS also receives money from United Way and county and federal funding.
KCSS serves the approximately 14,000 adults aged 60 and older in Kosciusko County, with services such as meals, homemaker services and education programs.
