Active seniors rule the carpet in local bowling scene

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Bowling. The rented shoes, gutter balls, strikes and spares. Almost everyone has been bowling at some time in their lives, but have you ever been carpet bowling? 

Played indoors on a 30ft carpet, the object of the game is to roll your ball as close as possible to the target white ball, called the jack. The closest ball is the winner. Carpet bowling is a fun, low-impact game for all ages, including active seniors right here in Caledon. 

Every Wednesday morning at the Riverview Terrace Senior Apartments, residents come together in the recreation room, ready to bowl and have fun. Whether you're an expert bowler or watching from the sidelines, all are welcome here. The best part is that the entire activity is organized and run by senior volunteers!

It all started on a whim explains Wilma Moore, one of the senior volunteers who helps lead this activity. “We had this carpet for about 25 years and it was just sitting in the closet,” said Moore. “Everyone would ask about it, and I'd tell them it's used for carpet bowling and then all of a sudden it clued in, why don't we use it?” 

That's when Wilma along with two other residents, Emily O'Neil and Mary Copeland, began carpet bowling within their residence, as part of Caledon Community Services' Seniors Helping Seniors program. The program encourages seniors to run their own senior activities within the community, and provides financial support to purchase any supplies they might need.

Staying physically and mentally active is vital for seniors' health and wellness. Bernard Nadeau is a retired police officer who served 41 years with the Toronto police and he credits carpet bowling for helping him remain active. “It gets you out of your apartments and you get to mingle with your friends,” said Nadeau.

Seeing the residents enjoy themselves also makes it worthwhile for the senior volunteers. “We see what it's doing for the residents and they talk about how much fun they had afterwards,” said Moore. “We feel we started something that's rewarding and people are enjoying it.”

Adults 55+ are welcome to join the fun with Seniors Helping Seniors! To learn how you can volunteer or be a participant, contact Silvana Ferrari, Acting Coordinator, Seniors Health and Wellness at sferrari@ccs4u.org or call at 905-584-2300 ext. 273.