Chilton County celebrated “Older American Month” with a community picnic on Wednesday that was held at Senior Connection in Clanton.

May is considered “Older American Month” as a result of the Older Americans Act, which was originally passed in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging (M4A) hosts a picnic in all five of its counties including Chilton.

It was the second year that Senior Connection’s location hosted the event, which nearly 200 people and about 20 vendors attended.

“I know our picnics are inside, but it is so much better for the seniors than being out in that hot sun,” said Laura King, Nutrition and Transportation Supervisor with M4A.

The picnic combined the Clanton Senior Center, Maplesville Senior Center and Senior Connection in a joint effort.

“It may be only once or twice a year that we are all able to get together,” Senior Connection Coordinator Vanessa McKinney said. “It‘s great when we finally get to socialize with each other.”

Entertainment during the event included fashion shows for both men and women, while the “Perfect Peaches” performed their signature line dancing routine.

The vendors brought several door prizes that were handed out throughout the event.

“They were handing out free stuff all day long,” McKinney said.

There were a variety of vendors that included healthcare agencies, therapeutic remedies, jewelry and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind offering people hearing screens.

“Nobody pushes anything on anybody, but it’s all about letting them know what is available for them to choose from,” King said.

M4A provided the lunch for the event, which followed a picnic theme with ham and cheese sandwiches, a bag of chips, an apple, juice and ice cream.

“You can’t have a picnic without ice cream,” King said.

Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver took part in the festivities and state Sen. Cam Ward also stopped in for a visit and wished the seniors well during a brief speech.

“We partner well together, and we definitely had an active crowd today,” McKinney said.