Blackstone seniors celebrate at sheriff’s picnic
SHREWSBURY – Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis hosted over a thousand senior citizens from throughout Worcester County for the Sheriff’s Annual Senior Picnic held on Saturday, Aug. 17, at SAC Park in Shrewsbury. The Sheriff’s picnic has become a highly-anticipated and beloved annual event for the county’s senior community and this year drew a record crowd, including an impressive contingent of over 40 seniors from the town of Blackstone.
“As Sheriff, hosting the Senior Picnic is one of the most special days of the year. It’s a great honor to give back to our seniors who have given so much to their communities and it is wonderful to see the joy this day brings to so many people,” Evangelidis said.
“It was such a pleasure being part of the Sheriff’s Picnic this year! I had a great time, especially seeing so many seniors from Blackstone, Millville and Uxbridge. We truly appreciate all the great work the Sheriff does and it was an honor to be part of this wonderful event,” said Massachusetts state Rep. Michael Soter.
The picnic was sponsored by the Worcester County Reserve Deputy Sheriff’s Association including donations by many local businesses and featured a traditional BBQ menu, cash BINGO, raffle prizes, complimentary gift bags and music entertainment. Over 250 volunteers, including over 100 members of the Nichols College football team, were also on hand to assist with the high turnout. The sheriff also provided inmate labor to assist with the set up and break down of the highly-attended event.
“We are thrilled it has become such a beloved annual tradition and I am grateful to the team that puts this together and the volunteers that help make this day happen,” Evangelidis added.