Senior Center Best Practices

Managers, Directors and Center Personnel

Senior Center Best Practices

Category
Marketing Your Center

Senior Center/Nutrition Program/Organization Name
Pittston Senior Center

Address
441 North Main Street, Pittston, Pa. 18640

Phone Number
(570) 655-5561

E-Mail
candrews@aging.luzerne-wyoming.org

Contact Person
Connie Andrews, Director

Event Name
Bowling League

Description/Overview
This event is sponsored by the AAA of Luzerne/Wyoming County. A 14 week bowling league is formed consisting of any senior 60 years of age or older. A discounted fee is offered to this group of Seniors for their bowling/shoes. In addition a small additional fee is added in to cover the cost of a bowling banquet which is held at the end of the season.

Time and Manpower
In order to form the bowling league I reserved the dates & total number of lanes I would need each week with a local bowling alley which required approximately 2 hours. I announced the details to the center members of what is required to join the league as well as advertise this in our local newspaper. Once I received interested parties I set up the teams. It is hard to estimate how much time it required to take phone calls & names, set up teams I also held a meeting before the league began to go over league rules & regulations so that all involved were well aware of how the league would be run. The bowlers bowl three games each week which takes approximately 1/1/2 to 2 hours. One staff person checks in on a weekly basis to ensure all is running smooth for approximately 1 hour total including traveling time to the bowling alley. Once all is overseen, the staff person can leave and does not have to stay for the duration of the bowling that day Records are tallied each week by the bowling alley and are given to the staff at the Center..

Marketing
This is a good way to introduce your center to the community. Some of the bowlers who participate are center members and some are non members who have responded from a article that is placed in the newspaper to advertise the start of the league each year. Several people who have joined the league have come to the senior center to join and participate in other programs that are available. The bowling alley has also benefited by this league as they have picked up bowlers for their other league that they have throughout the year.

Audience Served
60 years of age or older is the target audience.

Partnerships Utilized
Partnership with the bowling alley was utilized.

Budget/Costs
No budget was necessary as the bowling alley collected all monies that was involved.

Impact On Center
This bowling league makes quite an impact on the people involved as well as the Center. It is amazing how it brings strangers together to make great friendships as they get a chance to bowl against different teams each week. It also brings new people into the Centers and make them aware of what we are all about.

Good Tips/Other
At the end of the bowling season a bowling banquet was held. I awarded prizes to each team for their placement in the league. In addition I gave awards to highest bowler for a man and for a women, most improved bowler, etc. as well as some funny awards pertaining to things that happened during the league. A family style dinner was served at a local restaurant as well as a gift given to each particpant. Door prizes were also given at the banquet.