(Source: Valley Morning Star (Harlingen, Texas))
By Danielle Altenburg, Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, Texas
Nov. 02--HARLINGEN -- Local seniors learned about physical fitness, banking, real estate and energy savings Tuesday at the fifth annual Senior Expo, presented by the Valley Morning Star.
Seniors browsed more than 35 vendors and watched various educational seminars at the event at the Texas State Technical College Cultural Arts Center.
Harlingen resident Roland Scecharan and his wife were both impressed with the Valley Baptist Medical Center table. The couple went to most of the vendor tables and found all of them to be "most interesting."
Ofelia Pena, 65, of Rio Hondo, attended the fire prevention seminar. "I learned not to throw rugs on my heating vents," Pena said. "All of the tables were helpful," she added.
Vendors at the event ranged from bankers and real estate agents to the Better Business Bureau and Green Mountain Energy.
"This is a good venue for people to come and get good information," Dolores Salinas of the Better Business Bureau said. "It's great to keep people informed and to help them make the right decision. We provide the tools they need."
Jesse Rangel from Green Mountain Energy said education is the key. At this table, Rangel and his coworkers were educating participants on clean energy and saving on their electric bill.
He said he was telling participants that Green Mountain Energy has 100 percent pollution-free energy.
Winter Texan Jennie Reich found Green Mountain Energy's table informative. She said she received a variety of reading materials from vendors, and was very happy with the information she learned Tuesday.
Back to Action Physical Therapy was another vendor at the expo. They were creating awareness about the benefits of aquatic therapy to treat arthritis.
"It is good to educate people on all the options they have," Pam Crouch of Back to Action said.
"We can't cure arthritis, but we can give folks skills and make it easier to walk around," Crouch said.
Organizer Jeanette Ross of Valley Morning Star said, "We wanted to let local seniors know about businesses in the area without them having to buy anything."
All vendors at the event provided informational handouts and helpful tips to seniors. Many vendors said both locals and Winter Texans steadily walked by throughout the day.
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