The Calvert County Office on Aging recently won six Maryland Association of Senior Centers Programs of Excellence awards for programs offered to the county’s age 50 and over population. The annual awards honor and promote outstanding efforts made by senior centers throughout the state of Maryland. The awards were presented at the MASC annual meeting June 26 in Catonsville.

The Live History program held at Southern Pines Senior Center won the 2009 Education Award. In Live History, middle school and high school students experienced history brought to life during monthly panel discussions held by seniors who spoke of their experiences from historical periods such as World War II and the civil rights movement. The seniors shared their stories through photos, newspaper accounts and other memorabilia.

Calvert County programs swept the 2009 Leadership, Civic Engagement and Community Development Award category as the Workforce Series held at Calvert Pines Senior Center won the award and Remembering Courage and Honoring Sacrifices held at Southern Pines Senior Center took honorable mention. The four-part Workforce Series helped seniors catalog their skills and experiences, then prepare for volunteer and job opportunities with resume and interviewing tips. Calvert County veterans were honored during the day-long Remembering Courage and Honoring Sacrifices event as the Patuxent High School Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), the Lusby Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post and community members celebrated their service. Highlights included military drills and a Veterans Memorial Board and scrapbook revealing the veterans’ stories.

The 2009 Expressive and Creative Arts Award went to the Dancing 101 program held at Calvert Pines Senior Center. Seniors and their grandchildren got an aerobic workout in this program while sharing period dances from the Waltz to Soulja Boy. Displays featured the changing fashions associated with dances in various eras.

An Honorable Mention was presented in the MASC Fundraising category for the Christmas Market and Cookie Sale held at Calvert Pines Senior Center. The event raised $400 during a two-day sale of new and used Christmas items collected throughout the year, with one day featuring cookies baked by volunteers. A second honorable mention was awarded in the Special Event category for the Calvert Pines Senior Center National Night Out cookout, which also received an award from the Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse.

To learn more about the award-winning programs offered through the Calvert County Office on Aging, call (410) 535-4606 or (301) 855-1170 or visit http://www.co.cal.md.us/residents/health/aging/default.asp. For more information on the Maryland Association of Senior Centers, visit http://www.marylandseniorcenters.com/.