At the Milford Senior Center, birthdays are not just marked on a calendar.
Every month, the center brings people together to honor those who had a birthday that month with a celebration full of camaraderie, food and entertainment.
“We have so much fellowship,” Milford Senior Center Director Mystique Lauer said. “It is so much fun to see everybody get out of the house, especially on these days when it’s cold.”
Lauer said she looks for varying entertainment that is relevant to seniors for each birthday month celebration. She often hires musical performers, speakers on Nebraska history, impersonators and more.
“Sometimes, especially with music, you’ll look at the crowd and you’re not sure they’re even awake, but they’re reminiscing, and that’s the part that I love,” she said. “There’ll be tears, and it’ll be stories afterwards and things like that.”
The center charges birthday month celebration attendees $10 to cover the entertainment and food. Each person receives a meal catered by Pizza Kitchen and a cupcake.
New this year, birthday honorees will have their names entered in a drawing. The winner will have their birthday celebration attendance fee paid for.
The center always mails its members personalized birthday cards as well.
“Sometimes, the older that we get, the less excited we get for birthdays, or we don’t get acknowledged,” Lauer said. “It’s knowing that you’re important, and we want you here.”
Lauer said several regulars attend every birthday month celebration, which is generally the last Wednesday of every month.
“It’s always nice for people to recognize your birthday,” Milford Senior Center Board President Mary Wiese said. “Some people have made the comment that, ‘Every day I wake up, it’s a good day. The more birthdays I have, it’s wonderful.’”
All community members are welcome to attend the celebrations, not just seniors. Wiese said everyone loves the noise and visiting with people whom they might not otherwise see.
The next birthday month celebration will be Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 11:45 a.m. For entertainment, Prue Coccodrilli will present about her experience growing up on Alcatraz Island as a child, as her father taught there. Her presentation will begin at 12:45 p.m.
The deadline to register to attend is always the Friday before the celebration. This month’s deadline is Friday, Feb. 20. To sign up, stop by the center, email milfordneseniorcenter@gmail.com or call (402) 761-3367.
“It’s a celebration, and life is too short to not have them,” Lauer said.
