Senior citizens are remaining active this summer with West Hempstead’s free FunDay Monday program at North Hempstead Beach Park.
Occurring every Monday of the summer, beginning July 7 and ending Aug. 18, the event includes live music, access to social services, and activities ranging from pickleball to line dancing.
Hundreds of seniors gather each week for the program, which began close to 20 years ago. Run by the Department of Community Services and the Department of Services for the Aging, commonly referred to as Project Independence, the program is managed by just over 10 employees each week. The department’s goals are to keep seniors comfortable and in their homes for as long as possible, according to Project Independence representatives.
Themes for the program range from tributes to Elvis and Cher to health and wellness to saluting hometown heroes. At the Monday, July 21, program, Phil Costa and the Something Special Big Band performed for over an hour while dozens of program attendees danced.
Some program participants have come to the event for over a decade and love the program. Many come with groups, including the Great Neck Social Center and the Great Neck Chinese Association, which performed an impromptu performance during on July 21 playing the hulusi, a wind instrument made out of a gourd.
North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena helps run the event and is a familiar face for many of the program’s participants who lit up when she spoke to them.
DeSena says she is proud to give the town’s seniors a voice with the program, and emphasized the importance of the program in maintaining senior citizens’ mental and physical health.
When speaking about the program, DeSena said that it “really is a great way for seniors to socialize, to meet new friends, and to greet old friends.”
The DOSA commissioner, Kimberly Corcoran-Galante, says the program is like “a cruise ship that never leaves Port Washington.” Corcoran-Galante emphasized that the program is a wonderful way to combat loneliness for seniors, and that individuals regardless of their physical ability level are able to enjoy the programming.
Various social services are available at the event free of charge, including assistance with taxes, medical referrals and health assessments.
Transportation to the event is available for free from numerous shuttle locations around the town. The rain date for FunDay Mondays is on Thursdays.
Learn more about the program here.
