LITTLETON —Michelle Collette has a goal of getting people in their 50s and 60s to be more active.
Many people in this age group are caretakers of parents or older relatives, said Collette, active adults coordinator for the .
“Those caregivers give all their time and energy to taking care of their loved ones, and they really fall far behind in what’s important for themselves … to keep them mentally and emotionally available and to be able to physically take care of someone,” Collette said.
That is why South Suburban Parks and Recreation District has begun changing its marketing strategies to this age group. The district will work to find out what kind of programming to offer in the summer, but first it wants to get the “young seniors” in the classes.
“Many Baby Boomers do not want to be classified as a ‘senior,’ so we titled our program to be more inclusive, hence the new title, ‘Active Adults’, ” Jamie DeBartolomeis, marketing specialist for South Suburban, said in an e-mail.
Rather than offer a catalog with programming options called “Adult Connections,” South Suburban now offers a slick, magazine-type publication called meant to fill classes with younger seniors, especially people who have just retired.
“It lends itself to a bit broader scope so it doesn’t pigeonhole anyone,” Collette said.
She said the target audience is starting to come to the classes, which have been made up of people in their late 70s and 80s.
One such class is tap dancing, taught by Nan Kozdruy.
“The newer (participants) are in their 40s and 50s,” Kozdruy said. “They’re still working, but they are joining into some of these senior classes.”
Collette said that once folks try a class, they usually come back. She said younger class members seemed willing to try to learn new skills, especially when there were people older than them in the class.
For Catherine Carr, 70, participating in the senior fitness classes kept her fit enough to take care of her husband after he had a stroke. They also helped her after he died five years ago. Carr takes three yoga classes, cardio aerobics, line dancing, tap dancing, samba dancing and Nia at Buck Recreation Center.
“This is what saved my sanity, coming here … I love the people and I love the instructors,” Carr said.
Collette, who is based out of Buck, said South Suburban also provides a sense of community and friendship, which is important as people get older.
“Our seniors are really friendly here,” Collette said. “We’re lucky we work in a community recreation center. I think our biggest sell is just the sense of community and people wanting to be involved.”
For Cathy Driscoll, 71, the people, and staying socially active, is a big reason she’s been using the programs at Buck since it opened in 2005.
“I love the people here,” Driscoll said. “I know everyone in my class.”
Clayton Woullard: 303-954-2953 or cwoullard@denverpost.com
