MIDVALE, Utah -- There are about a million people living in the Salt Lake Valley, and around 200,000 of them are senior citizens.
The number of those who are over sixty is growing every day, but, now that a new center has opened, seniors in Midvale are literally living large.
The new and improved Midvale Senior Center is about 20,000 square feet in size and has the largest exercise space of any senior center in the valley.
Midvale resident Judy Spratling is a fan of the design of the new center.
"There's copper represented, old bricks, and just the glass and the openness of it, it's beautiful,” she said. “It's gotta be the flagship of Salt Lake County now."
Becky Capp, Director for Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services, said the copper in the new center is just one way it ties into the town's rich history.
“We've got copper from the copper mine, we've got the silo from, you know, we used to have sugar beets that grew all around here, so we've really tried to incorporate the history of Midvale into the center,” Capp said.
The main concept behind a senior center is to keep people active as they age, so it has plenty to offer. There are classes for everything from tai chi to yoga to book writing and pottery making. There are even classes about line dancing and how to use a computer.
Research shows that engaging in activities like these helps people remain independent and in their own home longer.
Another highlight is the new cafeteria, which is open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Everyone in Midvale over sixty is invited.
"It's open to the community,” Capp said. “If you want to come and have a good lunch, or some breakfast, come over to the senior center."
Everything offered at the center is free, but there's a suggested, very low donation for the meals. No one is turned away, even if they can’t pay.
For more information about the new senior center, click here.
