Those who attend the De Soto Senior Expo on Wednesday, April 9, will find lots of fun and educational activities to keep them busy.
The expo, set for 8 a.m. to noon at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 13225 Hwy. E, in De Soto, is open to seniors 50 and older. Admission is free.
Leader Publications will hold seven senior expos this year.
“De Soto is always the first of the senior expos and also one of my favorites because it kicks off the season, and it’s always a blast,” said Katelyn Mary Skaggs, digital marketing manager for Leader Publications. “It will be a fun day of prizes, music and information from 28 vendors.”
When doors open, attendees may grab a free doughnut and a cup coffee and head to a variety of vendors.
At 8:30 a.m., Alan Westfall and Gene “Woody” Woodford from Adventure 360 will speak about finding dinosaur fossils, and then attendees may visit with them at their expo booth during the rest of the morning.
Skaggs said Adventure 360, a nonprofit group based in Fenton, hosts amateur archaeological digs at the badlands in Montana, which might make a great trip for seniors and their grandchildren. In addition to hosting digs, the group offers school and community programs in the area.
At 9 a.m. and again at 10 a.m., bingo will be played in front of the stage with Mandi Franken of Mercantile at Main calling bingo. Skaggs said bingo prizes will include gift cards to local shops like Mercantile at Main and The Brave Fox, as well as Leader T-shirts and other goodies.
Warren Robinson of the Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management will speak at 9:30 a.m. about storm safety and new tornado sirens being installed in other parts of Jefferson County.
“He will talk about how the office prepares and reacts to bad weather,” Skaggs said. “Unfortunately, we’ve had lots of bad weather this year. He will offer tips on how to prepare for a storm and how the county helps after a storm.”
At 10:30 a.m., Donna Masters of the Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corporation will share information about resources available for seniors.
Then, at 11 a.m., the Leader will announce winners of the grand prize and other prizes offered by some of the vendors. Skaggs said the grand prize package is an adventure package that includes a yearlong Friends and Family Membership to the St. Louis Science Center, four Omnimax Theater tickets and four tickets to the Wild Animal Safari in Springfield, Mo.
“The grand prize includes a $100 gas card to fuel all your adventures,” Skaggs said. “I’m pretty excited about this prize.”
The Science Center membership is for up to two adults living in the same household and is nontransferable.
Attendees must be present to win the grand prize. To register for the grand prize, sign up at the Leader table near the entrance.
After prizes are announced, J.B. Louis and the Legends Band will perform until noon.
The Leader will hold six other senior expos throughout the year – the South County Senior Expo on May 7 at the Kennedy Recreation Complex in St. Louis County; the Festus Senior Expo on June 18 at the Jefferson County Family YMCA in Festus; the West Side Senior Expo on July 16 at Northwest High School in Cedar Hill; the Arnold Senior Expo on Aug. 27 at the Arnold Eagles Hall; a brand new expo called the Farmington-area Senior Expo on Sept. 24 at the Mineral Area College Tech Center in Park Hills; and the Eureka Senior Expo on Oct. 22 at the Timbers of Eureka Recreation Center.
Leader announces ‘Show Off Your Grandkids’ winners
By Goldie Lowe
Penny Davis, 61, of Pevely was the winner of the annual Show Off Your Grandkids contest for her photo of granddaughter Lyla Lee Davis, 3, of House Springs drinking a milkshake at the Arnold Steak ’n Shake.
She will receive a $100 cash prize in the contest, sponsored by Grand Times, Leader Publications’ magazine for seniors.
Davis’s photo was picked as the best among 139 entries. Photos were judged on composition, charm and technical aspects, like crop, focus and lighting.
The second-place prize and $75 went to Renee Townsend, 64, of Byrnes Mill, who submitted a photo she took of her grandson, Drake Dragovich, then 6 months old, and his chocolate Labrador retriever, Gunner.
The third-place prize of $50 went to Liz Rothweiler, 63, of Crystal City for a photo she took of her granddaughter, Maren Rothweiler, then 6 months old, of St. Louis.
Penny Davis, 61, of Pevely took first place with this picture of her granddaughter, Lyla Lee Davis of House Springs, at the Arnold Steak ’n Shake.
Davis
Davis took her photo of Lyla in December before a trip to see Santa. When Lyla saw her father’s milkshake arrive at the table, Davis said, the youngster got really excited.
“She wanted her dad’s shake so bad. He finally gave it to her, and we got that picture of her,” Davis said. “You can see the joy in her face having that shake he gave her!”
Renee Townsend, 64, of Byrnes Mill won second place with this picture of her grandson, Drake Dragovich, then 6 months, of Valley Park, and his chocolate Labrador retriever, Gunner.
Townsend
Townsend said Drake, who lives in Valley Park, was chewing on a teething rattle when Gunner walked up close to check on him. Gunner’s whiskers tickled Drake’s face, making him wrinkle his nose and make a “scowling” face.
Townsend said she didn’t realize she had caught the humorous expression until she was reviewing the photos later that day.
She said Drake’s family has two Labradors and got Gunner a few months before Drake was born. Drake and Gunner, both now 2 years old, have grown up together.
“Gunner loved Drake from the moment he met the newborn baby and has been attached so much, so it’s a wonder Drake had room enough to learn to walk. Gunner is his constant companion,” Townsend said. “The dogs love little Drake, and he loves them.
“He’s so kind and loves his dogs and loves all animals. It’s really worked out wonderfully.”
Liz Rothweiler, 63, of Crystal City earned third place with this picture of her granddaughter, Maren Rothweiler of St. Louis.
Rothweiler
Rothweiler took her photo of Maren, who lives in St. Louis, in November when she experienced her first snow.
“She’s my first grandbaby, and when the snow came, I was lucky enough to be there with her to take her picture,” Rothweiler said. “She sat down in the snow and she didn’t know what to do with it. She touched it and then she stopped and she just kind of looked at us. But it was really fun to see for me, especially because I am a snow person. I absolutely love being out in the snow.”
Rothweiler said she watches 10-month-old Maren three days a week.
“She’s just a delight,” Rothweiler said. “I can’t wait to tell her mom and dad.”
The winning photos and as many more as space allows may be found in this special section. Other photos will be posted to the Leader’s website at myleaderpaper.com.
The contest, for seniors 50 and older, began in 2004.
See all the entries to the Show Off Your Grandkids contest here:
Leader to give away grand prize adventure package
By Kim Robertson
Those who attend the De Soto Senior Expo on April 9 will have the chance to enter a drawing for an adventure package that offers tickets for some fun activities, along with some gas money to get you there.
The expo will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in De Soto.
The grand prize package includes a yearlong Friends and Family Membership to the St. Louis Science Center, four Omnimax Theater tickets and four tickets to the Wild Animal Safari in Springfield, Mo. The prize also includes a $100 gas card to cover transportation costs.
The Science Center membership is for up to two adults living in the same household and is nontransferable.
“The prize package offers the perfect adventure to enjoy with grandkids or other family members or friends,” said Katelyn Mary Skaggs, digital marketing manager for the Leader. “It’s perfect for summer coming up and doing a bit of traveling.”
Senior Expo attendees may enter the drawing at the Leader table set up at the event. Attendees must be present to win. Prize winners will be announced at about 11 a.m.
Even those who don’t win the big prize will still have the opportunity to win prizes and giveaways from the numerous vendors they may visit at the event. Attendees will also have the chance to hear from some interesting speakers, play Bingo and listen and dance to music performed by J.B. Louis and the Legends Band.
“We’re going to have a fun senior expo,” Skaggs said. “We’re looking forward to kicking off our senior expo season at De Soto.”
The Leader will hold six other senior expos throughout the year – the South County Senior Expo on May 7 at the Kennedy Recreation Complex in St. Louis County; the Festus Senior Expo on June 18 at the Jefferson County Family YMCA in Festus; the West Side Senior Expo on July 16 at Northwest High School in Cedar Hill; the Arnold Senior Expo on Aug. 27 at the Arnold Eagles Hall; a brand new expo called the Farmington-area Senior Expo on Sept. 24 at the Mineral Area College Tech Center in Park Hills; and the Eureka Senior Expo on Oct. 22 at the Timbers of Eureka Recreation Center.