Club 65 Participates in 17th Annual Asian Seniors Holiday Bash
Members of the Club 65 Seniors group which attended the Annual Senior’s Holiday Luncheon at Ocean Palace Restaurant on Friday, December 1.
By Jawahar Malhotra
HOUSTON: Once again bringing joy to the elderly during the hectic Holiday season, on Friday, December 1, Club 65 brought a together a large number of South Asian seniors to the 17th Annual Asian Senior’s Holiday Luncheon at the Ocean Palace restaurant on Bellaire and Boone in Chinatown.
Their participation was organized by C65 President Paru McGuire and her volunteers who brought together 60 people, mostly seniors, of Indian descent to the annual event, which is was coordinated this year by the VN Teamwork non-profit organization. Among the more than 800 seniors at the event were members of the Indian Senior Citizen’s Association and the Ismaili Golden Club singing group who performed their unique style of music singing holiday songs, much to the delight of everyone.
Among the festivities at the luncheon, some ladies from the Ismaili Jamatkhana performed the Gujarati garba.
This year, in addition to the Golden Club, the Ismaili community came forward with a yoga instructor who introduced the gathering to Laughter Yoga which had them all in stiches in no time. He explained the importance of laughter in curing ailments, apart from depression and anxiety, and the beneficial side effects that the act of laughing can bring.
Members of other Asian groups also performed their cultural music and dances and this immediately broke down the barriers of communication among the seniors from all nationalities who mingled at the large round tables spread across the second floor banquet hall. A photo booth at which they could take their pictures in different guises was a big hit too.
Each year, the Chinese Community Center has supported the event which offered cultural dances in colorful costumes, a photo booth for taking pictures and a sumptuous lunch to the seniors. A variety of hors d’oeuvres and fresh fruits were served before lunch at the table by volunteers, followed by entrées and desserts.
Members of the various Asian senior communities volunteer and participate in the event, with the Chinese, Filipino, Indian and Vietnamese attending every year. The evening before, volunteers from each organization fill “goody bags” with articles that seniors use in their daily lives. These were given to each senior as they left, and the centerpiece gift basket was then given to the senior-most member at their respective tables.