(Photos by Emily Baierl)
Seniors gathered at the Lake Elsinore Senior Activity Center on May 5 for a Cinco de Mayo celebration.
The event included music, dancing and a shared meal. Attendees took turns singing karaoke, while others danced or watched from their tables.
“The goal of the event is to just have fun,” said Julie Matull, recreation coordinator for the Lake Elsinore Senior Activity Center and the Special Needs Arise program.
Matull said the center has hosted Cinco de Mayo celebrations for about four to five years and regularly incorporates cultural events into its programming.
“We are a very diverse center,” she said. “Having cultural events is important, and it makes everyone feel included.”
Lake Elsinore resident Theresa Johnston said she has been attending the senior center activities for many years. When asked what she enjoyed most about the celebration, she didn’t hesitate.
“Everything,” she said. “The music, the food, the people, the dresses.”
Johnston said events like this are important for celebrating and remembering her culture. She added that she enjoys all the events at the senior center.
“They’re very friendly, and I feel happy,” she said.
Clara Morgan, who attended the celebration in traditional dress, said participating in cultural events is important to her.
“We are proud of our culture,” she said. “Whenever they celebrate here, it’s so nice.”
Center staff said a sense of community is what they hope to build through events like Cinco de Mayo. They have seen that goal take shape over time.
“They have built very strong friendships, people that didn’t know each other before, and they love it,” Matull said.
Kate Perez, who is a newcomer to the center, shared that sentiment, noting she has already formed many new friendships through the center.
“Seeing my friends, sharing our food, celebrating life and socializing,” Perez said, describing the event’s highlights.
Another attendee said the celebration holds personal meaning.
“I was born in Mexico,” she said. “Today is a beautiful day for us over there. I came to the senior center because they celebrate here.”
She described the senior center as a consistent place for support.
“It’s my second home away from home, since my husband passed away,” she said. “It makes you feel like, ‘you know what? Don’t give up.’”
Maria Plancarte, who volunteers at the events and is a member at the senior center, said the center also became especially meaningful to her and her late husband, Jesus Plancarte.
“It became like our second home,” she said. “This place turned his last days into the happiest time of his life. I’m really grateful for that.”
Plancarte said she continues volunteering to give back to others who attend and to show appreciation for the center.
“This place is very special,” she said. ”This place really gives us a reason to get up, to be happy and to enjoy life with other people that are in the same position as we are.”
