• By Victoria Poore
• Posted Tuesday, May 4, 2010

May is Older Americans Month

Honor your favorite Older American by taking them out to the ballgame! Forsyth County Aging Services Planning Committee and the Winston-Salem Dash invite you to join us for Older American's Day at the Ballpark on Saturday, May 22nd. Enjoy the game, a Chick-Fil-A meal, and a Dash hat for only $7.50 per person. Click here to order tickets. The deadline for ordering is May 12th.

History of Older Americans Month

When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthdays. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing, however. In April of 1963, President John F. Kennedy's meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens served as a prelude to designating May as "Senior Citizens Month."

Thanks to President Jimmy Carter's 1980 designation, what was once called Senior Citizens Month, is now called "Older Americans Month," and has become a tradition.

Historically, Older Americans Month has been a time to acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons to our country, in particular those who defended our country. Every President since JFK has issued a formal proclamation during or before the month of May asking that the entire nation pay tribute in some way to older persons in their communities. Older Americans Month is celebrated across the country through ceremonies, events, fairs and other such activities.