Lake Co. senior celebration will take place despite cuts

The Lake County Forest Preserve District's annual Seniors Day celebration is set for June 9 at the Independence Grove Forest Preserve near Libertyville.

The 38th annual event will run from 9 a.m. to noon and is open to Lake County residents 55 or older. Exhibits, activities, food and games are planned, including pontoon boat rides, garden hikes, bingo, music and dancing.

Registration is not required. Admission is free. For more information, visit lcfpd.org.

The event is two hours shorter this year than in the past, reflecting the district policy to be more frugal and manage projects more efficiently. Other cost-saving tweaks include hosting bingo inside rather than in a rented tent outdoors.

"The only real significant change will be the time will be reduced," said Nan Buckhardt, director of environmental education and public affairs.

The original event to recognize seniors was held at Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda and was straightforward. At the time, there were few programs targeted for seniors, according to the district.

"It used to just be a day out at Lakewood and everyone brought their picnics," said Forest Board President Bonnie Thomson Carter. "We didn't even feed them."

The size and complexity grew over the years to include food, entertainment, health-related exhibits and other activities. That accelerated with the switch in 2004 to Independence Grove, the district's most popular preserve, located just outside Libertyville off Route 137.

Net costs last year for the free day of activities amounted to more than $73 per attendee. The district in 2009 spent about $113,000 in supplies, service and staff time, with 95 staffers logging nearly 2,300 hours on the event. Sponsorships and donations offset that amount to about $88,000. This year, the district expects to spend about $30,000 less.