Event Overview
Free event offers information and entertainment to older adults
For the fifth consecutive year, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Senior Expo, sponsored by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, will provide opportunities for seniors to learn and have fun. The health and lifestyle expo is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat., Sept. 15, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. The free event features local vendors, educational seminars and entertainment focused on Arkansans 55 and older. This year’s master of ceremonies will be KARK meteorologist Pat Walker. The event will include a presentation by Allwell about Medicare Advantage Plans, as well as presentations by doctors from UAMS. Former Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Deputy Editor Frank Fellone will host a political panel about the midterm election and its impact on seniors. Panelists will include Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist John Brummett; Skip Rutherford, dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service; Sylvester Smith, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business/Arkansas; and Bill Vickery, host of “The Sunday Buzz” on 103.7 The Buzz. “This is the fifth year we have put on the Senior Expo in Little Rock, and we are thrilled to be able to bring this event to the community for free,” said Amanda Copley, marketing and events director for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “We have a wonderful array of businesses that will offer products and services to attendees, as well as a diverse schedule of activities ranging from medical screenings to financial advice.” The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette started the Senior Expo in 2014 in order to bring together businesses, services, resources, health screenings and education for a one-day event meant to enrich the lives of seniors in the Little Rock metro area. Resources provided at the event have helped many local seniors find the answers they sought, Copley said. “We are grateful to UAMS for partnering with us again this year in order to bring health screenings and education to the event, which is a key focus for us,” she added. “We have also developed a great lineup of seminars and entertainment for attendees. Our goal is to bring together everything seniors need for a healthy lifestyle in one convenient place.” The event works to enhance senior health in a number of ways. Experts from UAMS will provide health screenings with no appointment needed, including blood-glucose screenings, lung-cancer screenings, and blood pressure and heart rate checks. UAMS will also offer “Ask a Pharmacist” sessions to provide attendees with answers to their medication questions. In addition, complimentary 15-minute sessions with UAMS doctors will be scheduled on-site from 9:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. UAMS will also provide information about nutrition, vision and more, all tailored to the needs of seniors. Visitors to the event can explore UAMS’ giant inflatable Mega Brain, an oversized model that illustrates the brain’s structure and provides information about strokes and brain injuries and diseases. Attendees can
also access convenient mammogram services from the UAMS MammoVan, a mobile mammography unit. In addition, attendees can meet John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editorial cartoonist, who will draw caricatures and sign copies of his book, The View from Here, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Author Janet Carson will sign copies of her books from 10 a.m. to noon. Those who would like to peruse available books can do so in a provided reading nook. Various books will be available for purchase, including Arkansas Life magazine’s cookbook, The Modern Arkansas Table. Giveaways will take place throughout the event, including a grand prize of an ultimate giveaway featuring gifts from Cornerstone Pharmacy, Granite Transformations, Edward Jones financial advisor Brooks Browning, AAA, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and CapTel Captioned Telephone Service. The grand prize for bingo will be an opening-weekend family pack from the Arkansas Travelers. Select Charter will provide free transportation for those looking to avoid downtown traffic. Park and Ride will be offered from the State Capitol’s parking lot to the Statehouse Convention Center from 8:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., with pickups and drop-offs every half hour. Parking is free in the Capitol’s lot, located just behind the Capitol off West Seventh Street between Wolfe and Marshall streets. There will also be a Park and Ride option from Hot Springs Village, with only one scheduled pick up at 8 a.m. and a drop-off at 3:15 p.m. Departure time for those leaving the Statehouse Convention Center will be 2:15 p.m. Those who choose this option can park at the Cranford’s East Gate at 25255 Arkansas 5 in Lonsdale. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Senior Expo is also sponsored by Allwell, the Clinton Foundation, Cornerstone Pharmacy, Blue Cross Blue Shield, WellCare and the Arkansas Travelers.