SEQUIM — Shipley Center, Sequim’s senior activity center, will host its 11th annual open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday.
The center is at 921 E. Hammond St.
“We want people to see what a community resource we are,” said the center’s board President Margaret Cox. “There are so many people who don’t know we exist.”
She founded the open house as an outreach opportunity to showcase the well-used and -loved facility.
Michael Smith, executive director, said the center caters to more than 1,700 active members with an estimated 600 people participating in activities each week. However, some activities don’t have registration, so it’s difficult to gauge attendance, he said.
Members and non-members of any age are welcome to drop-in at the free open house on Thursday.
Entertainment, door prizes, demonstrations and food are planned.
Smith will speak at 2 p.m. briefly about the center’s planned Health & Wellness Annex.
Cox, who has led a balance exercise class for 10 years, said she participated in the class years ago before becoming its permanent substitute.
The class’ purpose is to strengthen one’s core, prevent falls and promote better posture with at least one foot always on the floor.
When asked if the class has benefited her after three years, Nancy Martin said, “Oh, gosh yes! I don’t wobble as much.”
Various levels of exercise are available throughout the week, too.
Center members from various classes will share their talents on Thursday. They include tap dancers, the Strait Wheelers Dance Club, ukulele strummers and others.
Visitors can walk through the whole facility to see classes in action, such as ping pong, arts and crafts, the computer lab, and various games like cribbage and Scrabble.
Cox said of the approximately 200 people who generally attend, it’s a good mix of current and new attendees.
The Cafe, the center’s full-service restaurant, will offer refreshments during the event.
Free senior resources will also be on hand, too.
“People are surprised to learn how much activity we have,” Cox said.
Prior to becoming the Shipley Center in 2013, named after large supporter R. Leo Shipley, the center was known as the Sequim Senior Activity Center.
Smith said they added “activity” to share how much the facility has to offer.
Activities run Monday-Friday with some trips and activities on weekends.
Membership in the Shipley Center is $55 per person per year or $95 for two people living in the same house. Members receive the monthly newsletter, class discounts, access to a free computer clinic and more.
For more information on the open house or joining, call 360-683-6806, email info@shipleycenter.org or visit www.shipleycenter.org.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
