Vaughan discusses programs available to local seniors

The older generation in the Alleghany community has a place to gather in the Alleghany Senior Center, where they are given the opportunity to participate in different programs.

Bonnie Vaughan, a native of the county, recently spoke of available programs, focusing on the Silver Striders club and the senior games, of which she has been a part since 1986.

Over the years, Vaughan has decorated a case at the senior center to celebrate each season.

With her recent retirement of the position, the center opted to place trophies, medals and ribbons on display in the case to honor her years of service to the local senior center. When asked how many of each filled the case, she thought for a moment, and simply replied, "Countless."

Silver Striders

The Silver Striders first met in 1992. For the nominal fee of $5 a year, the senior population can keep track of the number of miles one walks and/or runs daily. Since its inception, the club's membership has ballooned, now boasting 90 to 100 members.

She said, "In Silver Striders, you have a log book, an individual thing to keep your mileage going. That's an incentive to get those miles in. It keeps track of your cumulative miles, and mine are way up in the 30,000s since 1992. I always averaged six miles a day and now it's gone down to just three. But I'm heading for age 80, so I think I'm doing well. You just don't have as much time as you get older to walk. It takes longer to get things done. I can still do a five-mile walk easily; it doesn't bother me in the least. All these good 'ole bluffs' (as) I call them around Sparta. I think that sounds more creative than hills. I travel the bluffs of Sparta to do all my volunteer things at CARES (Alleghany Christians Associated for Relief and Emergency Services) and the nursing home and up to the school, to the hospital…It keeps me in good shape."

Through the years, participants in the program have walked in each parade held in Sparta—even when they faced a downpour.

"We always have some vehicle…we walk beside of the vehicle in the Christmas parade and the Fourth of July parade. Even in the rain of the Sesquicentennial (parade Sept. 26), two of us took our umbrellas and walked and passed out our candy to the children; they were all sitting in cars, its was raining too hard for them to be out. We just dressed and went and had a great time."

The group gives back to the community, offering scholarship funds to high school seniors going into the field of health education.

Meanwhile, the Silver Striders also take part in raising funds through a local Relay for Life team, holding a cystic fibrosis benefit walk among its members, as well as an annual heart walk at Cox's Chapel Springs. The funds raised there benefit the Alleghany Heart Auction, held each year in February.

On the last Saturday in October, Silver Striders take part in a postal walk, after which mileage sheets are mailed off and later computed nationally by age and gender. Vaughan stated she made a record for the 60-64 age group years ago.

"Sometimes others from other clubs around the United States that can out-walk me," she said with a smile. "Records are made to be broken and I've even had the record for the state race walk in my age group. I don't think anybody's ever surpassed my 5-K. I think I still have the 60-64."