Senior Resident Advisory Committee finalizes senior fair plans; Twin Oaks to provide donuts and $100 for bingo

The Senior Resident Advisory Committee met March 9 and finalized plans for the community senior fair, confirming vendor counts, registration logistics, volunteer roles, and prize arrangements while accepting a sponsorship from Twin Oaks Senior Living that will provide donuts and a $100 donation for bingo.

Committee members and staff said the fair will host 44 vendors and will use an iPad-and-paper registration system to manage check-ins. The venue, the Elks Lodge in O'Fallon, will supply coffee, water and tea; raffle tickets and buckets for prize drawings will be provided by the committee. "We are up to now 44 vendors," the clerk said during the meeting, noting growth since the prior meeting.

The committee detailed volunteer assignments for the fair's operations, including registration staff, roaming volunteers to assist vendors, and personnel to announce prize winners. Organizers said vendors will arrive between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., and volunteers were asked to be on site by about 7 a.m. to help with setup.

Planning also covered bingo and raffle logistics. Organizers described bingo as a small, continuing activity near the fair entrance to give attendees something to do before the entertainment; prizes will come from donated baskets, wine and company donations. "Count me in for 4 bottles of wine for donation," one committee member said. The committee discussed limitations on selling alcohol and confirmed that donated bottles may be used as prizes but not sold.

Twin Oaks Senior Living confirmed it will sponsor part of the event: "Twin Oaks Senior Living is continuing on, and we'll be sponsoring it," said the Twin Oaks representative, who also offered to provide donuts and a $100 contribution toward bingo prizes. The committee agreed Twin Oaks would cover donuts and make the $100 donation; members discussed whether to use the donation for a "cover all" bingo prize or for smaller payouts.

Organizers addressed vendor communications after several vendors reported being told the vendor list was full after the March 1 deadline. The clerk said the deadline had been set for March 1 and that the center had advised vendors who called after that date; committee members asked staff to follow up with late inquiries and to clarify vendor communications going forward.

The committee confirmed giveaways collected from a former chair and that some vendors (including H&R Block) had signed on and would bring promotional materials and checks from sponsors. One volunteer reported a donor will bring about 100 cookies for the event.

In related business, the committee set rules for a candidate question session on March 17: seniors and the MYAC youth group will pose questions; wards with only one candidate will be allowed three questions and wards with multiple candidates will be limited to two questions per group. A participant read an electoral slate for Wards 1–5 to the committee for planning purposes.

Routine meeting business included approval of the meeting agenda and a motion to redo the February minutes, each adopted by voice vote. The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn.

The fair is scheduled for the week indicated in committee materials; volunteers are asked to arrive early the morning of the event, and staff will follow up with vendors who reported conflicting information about table availability.