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TALLADEGA, Ala. — Thursday was a day many seniors in the east-central Alabama region look forward to every year. A special event during Older Americans Month, the Talladega SuperSpeedway hosts an annual May Day. Over 1,000 seniors in the ten-county region served by the East Alabama Regional Planning & Development Commission (EARPDC) gather in a large reception area of the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame to enjoy a day of fellowship, good eating, dancing and listening to some classic music.

There was a different twist this year. EARPCD officials asked for their help in pressuring members of Congress to avoid voting to cut some senior programs that are on the chopping block.

Seniors were asked to contact Senator Katie Britt and Congressman Mike Rogers to urge them to vote against cuts for popular senior programs like Medicaid, Meals on Wheels, Medicare, Social Security and benefits for veterans.

The assembled seniors were asked to stand, raise their arms and shout “Don’t cut our programs!” They were videotaped doing this several times and copies of that video were forwarded to members of Alabama’s Congressional delegation. It was an impressive show of support for leaving these programs intact.

Meals on Wheels was created as a partnership between the federal government and the public. The Older Americans Act pays for approximately one-third of Meals on Wheels funding, while local communities and private resources generate the rest. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, proposed cuts to Medicaid would dramatically change Medicaid’s funding structure, deeply cut federal funding and shift costs and financial risks to states. Faced with large and growing reductions in federal funding, states would likely cut eligibility and benefits, leaving millions of people without health coverage and access to needed care.

Large contingents from the senior centers in Lanett and Valley were present at Thursday’s mass gathering. They rode there on four Dobbs Transportation buses. Accompanying them were members of the Bradshaw-Chambers County Library Travelers.

The EARPCD is headquartered in Anniston and serves Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Etowah, Randolph, Talladega and Tallapoosa counties.

The program emcee, Jon Holder, told the big crowd that two of those ten counties were special to him. He said he had a special place in his heart for Chambers County because he had grown up in Valley and had attended elementary school there. He said that Cherokee County was special because he graduated from high school at Spring Garden High in that county. He’s now with Grace Radio 90.7, which covers the Anniston/Gadsden area.

EARPCD Executive Director Lori Sokol welcomed the guests and Michael Morrison urged them to maintain active lifestyles. Live entertainment was provided by Alabama Rain, a five-member band led by Judge Ryan Robertson. They did a mixture of classic country from such past stars as Hank Williams and Patsy Cline to more recent performers such as The Eagles and Jimmy Buffett.

Some local people were recognized. Henry Osborne was commended on a lifetime of service, including having been a classroom teacher for many years at Lanett High School, having served the city as a council member and mayor and having served on the Chambers County Commission. At 93 years of age, he showed that he can still cut the rug on the dance floor, taking part in a twist contest. Winning first place in that contest was Janie Gross, a member of the Valley Senior Center. Ray Edwards accompanied approximately 40 Valley seniors to the get-together. For a number of years now, he has served seniors from throughout the state as board chairman of the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS).

Local seniors did well in the costume contests. L C Marshall of the Library Travelers was voted the Best Dressed Cowboy. Robin Palmer of Lanett was chosen the Best Dressed Lady and Betty Parker, also of Lanett, was the Best Dressed Cowgirl.

The loudest applause was for Calvin Duke of Sardis, Alabama. He’s 100 years old and a veteran of World War II.

Four groups of square dancers from Boaz, Gadsden, Oakville, and Randolph County put on a demonstration. The square dance caller asked the crowd to pay close attention to one of the dancers. “She’s still learning,” he said. “She’s only been doing this for a year. She had her 93rd birthday not long ago and is still going strong.”

That drew a loud round of applause from the crowd.

The square dance teams went through their motions to the 1969 pop song “More Today Than Yesterday.” The caller explained that the song was an all-time favorite of his since it had been written by Pat Upton (1940-2016), who had been born in his hometown of Geraldine, Alabama. In 1969, Upton was the lead vocalist for the rock band Spiral Staircase, which had a gold-selling single of that song.