Battle Ground Senior Citizens started in 1975 and has had its ups and downs in terms of membership, but the group is thriving today with more than 600 active members

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

The party was so big that organizers worried they were going to run out of food.

That, my friends, was a good problem to have Monday in Battle Ground.

After all, that means a whole lot of people came out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Battle Ground Senior Citizens, Inc.

They call themselves Super Seniors, and the group started in 1975. By around 2020, though, the number of active participants was down to around 30.

Today? There are more than 600 on the monthly call list, and the group hosts around 200 people for a luncheon every month.

On Tuesday, organizers planned for enough food for 300 people at the 50th anniversary barbecue, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. By 11:15 the parking lot was full, and some folks were parking on the side of the street a couple blocks away from the Battle Ground Event Center.

Oh, yes, the group does have its own Battle Ground Senior Center, but that is a smaller venue.

This celebration was a big event.

Burgers. Hot dogs. Coffee drinks. And dessert, too.

Lori Lindberg, a board advisor for the group and volunteer, said she got involved with Battle Ground Senior Citizens soon after the pandemic. Her father-in-law needed a social outlet. 

“Let’s check out the luncheon. We did. He loved it,” Lindberg recalled.

She wanted to be a part of the operation.

“How can I help? I just fell in love with these people. They’re wonderful. The board and all the volunteers work very, very hard to create all the activities for the seniors, and we’re always trying to come up with more,” she said.

By the way, Lindberg claims to be older than 50. Which means she qualifies for being a member, too.

The president of the organization, Sharon Wodtke, proudly says: If you are 50 or older, you are a senior citizen in Battle Ground.

There are a number of goals for the organization. One priority is to get seniors involved, to stop feeling isolated, to meet new friends. 

The organization also gives back to the community. Battle Ground Seniors Citizens work with Shop with a Cop, hold monthly canned food drives, and they have a sock drive for the Clark County Veterans Assistance Center.

There are also groups that come to help seniors, whether it is health care management or IT help — students from Seton Catholic High School give tips on how to use a smart phone, for example. 

“Our mission is to create as many opportunities as we can for seniors,” Lindberg said.

“Lori does it because she has a heart for seniors. I do it because I am a senior,” Wodtke said.

BGSC Inc. got started in 1975, but it is truly thriving today. Again, there were only a few dozen active participants in 2020. When the pandemic hit, and places were shut down, many senior citizens were scared and lonely.

“Isolation and seniors do not work well together,” Wodtke said.

At the time, Wodtke was one of four officers of the organization. They came up with a plan during the pandemic to give away lunch boxes, cards, and other goodies at Kiwanis Park, where folks could drive up and receive a care package and share a few words while staying in their cars. Those friendly words spread to other seniors throughout the community.

By the end of the pandemic, when the Battle Ground Senior Center was open again, there were 90 active participants. 

Soon, the group needed a larger space for its monthly luncheon. That is when the group started renting out the Battle Ground Event Center for its large events.

Today, Wodtke is proud to say there are 667 senior citizens on the monthly call list. She describes it as a well check. Battle Ground Senior Citizens Inc. reaches out to those 667 people every month. 

On Monday, Battle Ground Senior Citizens Inc. held a 50th anniversary party.

“I’ll be curious at the end of the day if we run out of food or not,” Lindberg said. “I’m very excited about the turnout. Nice to see the community come together.”