February 15, 2008

70 is the new 50

First annual Westfield Oakridge Winter Walk a success

By Jeanne C. Carbone
Staff Writer

Dubbed WOWW, the first annual Westfield Oakridge Winter Walk and resource fair for seniors on Jan. 31 was all that and a great success.

County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation Department Outdoor Recreation Manager Kathleen Hooper, far right, and New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association President Kitty Monahan talk about Healthy Trails to visitors at the first annual Westfield Oakridge Winter Walk [WOWW] on Jan. 31. Photos by Jeanne C. Carbone

WOWW attendees stretched, walked the mall and learned about a variety of resources available for them at booths from Kaiser Permanente, South Valley YMCA, Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation, California Senior Legislature, AARP, Meals on Wheels, Metropolitan Adult Education Program and a plethora of other citywide organizations.

“According to the United States Census Bureau there are approximately 220,600 older adults living in Santa Clara County,” said District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle. “This number is projected to nearly double to 428,300 by the year 2020, when older adults will represent 21.3 percent of the county’s population.”

Pyle decided to host a senior walk after helping last year at a District 1 event at Valley Fair, said her policy aide Kathy Sutherland. District 10 sponsored the WOWW event along with Westfield Oakridge Shopping Center, Kaiser Permanente Santa Teresa, Times Media, and a fifth sponsor. Starbucks Coffee, provided plenty of java and breakfast along with Jamba Juice for the early morning walkers.

But for a large number of those attending, getting up early, having a healthy breakfast and exercising is already a way of life. The city provides many classes at the Almaden Senior Program or at the Southside Senior Center on Cottle Road or the Willows Senior Center in Willow Glen with aerobics, yoga, walking and hiking clubs, belly dancing and more to improve fitness.

These clubs and activities are very popular with more than 20,000 older adults participating last year to improve their health and wellness. The same senior centers all over San Jose fed approximately 370,000 nutritious hot meals in 2007.

“This is just great,” said Dot Wilson with her friend Vivian Malloy. “We’re planning to walk. It’s such a great turnout. And I just love to walk.”

Santa Clara County Parks was passing out the new “Healthy Trails” guidebook, a fitness challenge for people of all ages and skill levels. The program challenges people to walk, roll, ride or run at least five of the 21 featured Santa Clara County Park trails. Visit www.parkhere. org for more information.

“We’ll also be having the ‘Family, Friends and Sweethearts Hike to the Niagara Falls of the South Bay’ on Feb. 16,” said New Almaden County Quick-silver Park Association President Kitty Monahan. “This is an easy trail, about a mile in Uvas Canyon County Park along the Waterfall Loop Trail. We’ll give out candy and have a ranger tell stories under the waterfalls. It’s free except for parking and it will be a lot of fun.”

Kaiser Permanente (KP) Santa Teresa attended the event with plenty of health and nutrition information at their booth.

San Jose District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle, center, leads the warm-up exercises at the first annual Westfield Oakridge Winter Walk on Jan. 31.

“I’m delighted to be here for the first annual Winter Walk,” said KP Community and Government Relations Manager Lisa Jafferies. “Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving the health of their members but also the community we serve.”

Jill Jaehne volunteers at KP and commended the program saying “volunteering will add years to your life.”

Simone Leube, membership and wellness director of the South Valley Family YMCA, led seniors in strength training at the WOWW event and said, “We have many senior specific classes and different levels and even ballroom dancing.”

Though exercise and nutrition was the focus at WOWW, other senior service groups were also there. Heart of the Valley, Services for Seniors will rake leaves, provide escorts for lunch or assist with pets or care for plants. They can be reached at (408) 241-1571.

Senior Adults Legal Assistance supports elders to live safely, independently and with dignity in managing financial and personal affairs. Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Office on Aging (408) 979-711 provides a full-service senior resource center.

There were even senators at the WOWW event. Senior Senators Anne Mack and Robert Jaffee are members of the California Senior Legislature, a public advocacy organization focusing on health, housing and consumer issues that impact older adults. Its Web site can be viewed at www.seniors.org.

Westfield Oakridge Shopping Center General Manager J.B. Schutte and marketing director Jennifer Dacquisto were available to make sure the indoor morning event ran smoothly as well as providing gift certificates to raffle winners. Dacquisto also announced new stores opening soon at the mall: Coach, Sephora, Swarovski Crystal and others, which drew cheers from the seniors who apparently like to shop after a mall walk.