Over 1,000 Worcester County Senior Citizens Attend Drive-Thru Picnic

For more than 1,000 seniors in Worcester County, the Sheriff›s Annual Senior Picnic is a highly anticipated event that kicks off the summer season. It’s an opportunity to come together, enjoy great food and prizes, and celebrate the warmer days ahead.

On Saturday, June 7th, seniors from all corners of Worcester County drove through SAC Park in Shrewsbury to receive their free barbeque lunch and many other giveaways provided by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Worcester County Reserve Deputy Sheriff Association, and various vendors and sponsors.

Sheriff Evangelidis and his team have honored Worcester County’s senior citizens for over a decade. Each summer, more than 100 volunteers prepare barbecue boxed lunches and hand out other raffle prizes, goodie bags, Massachusetts state lottery scratch tickets, Chick-fil-A gift cards, and more. For all involved, it’s a special time filled with fun and community spirit.

“The Senior Picnic is one of my favorite days of the year, and we strive to provide the best experience possible for attendees,” commented Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis. “In addition to the numerous treats and giveaways that we hand out, we also have over a dozen vendors on site to speak with seniors about programs, products, and services that they may benefit from.”

This year, Conny Ferguson, Pat Ferguson, Janette O’Neal, and Donna Marron, Uxbridge residents, were the lucky recipients of a raffle prize from the Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Evangelidis emphasized that it is the dedicated group of volunteers who make this event possible year after year. He noted that despite the unfavorable weather forecast, Mother Nature granted a nice morning, which encouraged seniors to attend.

This year, the picnic is sponsored or supported by community partners such as The Gun Parlor, Table Talk Pies, Mercadante Funeral Home, Massachusetts State Lottery, Chick-fil-a Worcester, Chick-Fil-A, Automatic Rolls of New England, Pam Massad in memory of “Duddie” and Bette Massad, Commerce Associates & The Krock Family, JV Mechanical Contractors, Inc., Diamond Auto Group, Falcone Enterprises, NEPBA Local 550, The Savickas Family, Worcester Housing Authority, and House Hangers.

Vendors included Worcester County District Attorney Joesph D. Early, Central Mass Housing Alliance, Vickstrom Law Office, CareOne at Millbury, Rockland Trust Bank, The Overlook, Worcester Red Sox, Tri-Valley, Inc., Saint Francis Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, The Journey Before Us, Senior Connection, Heart to Home Meals, Senior Helpers, and Raho Care Adult Foster Care.

A special thank you to the students and staff from Worcester Technical High School for volunteering their time to help make the day memorable for attendees.