Tapping into senior talent
Talent show highlights elderly aptitude
ABOVE: R.A. Sandoval sings a song in the Cibola Senior Olympic Variety Show on Friday at the Senior Citizen's Center in Grants. BELOW: Beatrice Chavez laughs while playing pans in the Kitchen Band during Friday's Cibola Senior Citizen Variety Show at the Grants Senior Citizen's Center. The show was a kickoff event for the Senior Olympics. [photos by Brian Leddy / Independent]

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — The Cibola Senior Center opened Olympics-style competitions in early May and held the 18th annual Cibola Senior Talent show last Friday as a kickoff for the events.

For 17 years the show was held on the NMSU-Grants campus, but this year organizers brought the competition closer to home in response to suggestions from both competing seniors and audience members, said senior center director Dorie Sandoval.

Approximately 150 people attended the talent competition, which featured seven categories of competition, including the favorite — and lively — Kitchen Band. Many of the band members participated in earlier events. The act served as a full cast curtain call as well a spoof on song and dance numbers over the ages. As the name suggests, participants played such instruments as huge salad servers, pan lids, pie plate drums and other utensil-derived musical devices.

The top three winners in each category are eligible to compete in the New Mexico State Summer Games from July 30 to August 3 in Las Cruces, Sandoval said. She added that some people say they are reluctant to enter the competitions because they do not want to go to an out of town competition, but she assures them they have no obligation to go if they do not want to.

In the event a first, second or third place winner declines the state competition, everyone who placed below them moves up one place in the winning order so the next person will take their place.

Participants of the games and talent show will be selling raffle ticket from now until near the summer event to help cover travel expenses. Sandoval said prizes include ceramics, pottery, a quilt and other handicrafts as well as other items donated by supporters. Ticket cost one dollar apiece and can be purchased at the center or from any participating member.

Senior Olympic games continue through the month. Events include air gun and archery, badminton, basketball, pool, bowling, cycling, classic field events such as discus and jumps, golf, horseshoes, race-walk, tennis, swimming and others. Sandoval said organizers may offer some of the events that were held early in the month and had no entries, such as archery and air rifle, again later in the month.

Information about locations for different events is available from the center.

Information: Cibola Senior Center, 550 Jurassic Court, Grants. Phone: 285-4508.