Above: Last year, Woo Sox players helped Sherriff Evangelidis give out picnic meals to Worcester County residents ages 60+. Registrations are due this week for the 2023 picnic in June. (contributed photo)
Local residents ages 60+ can sign up by this Friday, May 19th, to enjoy a free BBQ meal on Saturday, June 10th.
Pre-registered attendees will be able to pick up a boxed lunch and goodie bags. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Drive-Thru Senior Picnic will also feature music, giveaways, and raffle prizes.
After receiving the press release, I reached out to inquire whether the pickup location includes enough space for attendees to park then picnic. The answer is no, but attendees can plan to carpool and take their meals to one of the “many beautiful municipal and state parks within a short drive”. (According to the office’s Communications Director, many attendees also arrive by municipal buses on which they eat their meals.)
The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office had a “long-standing tradition” of hosting the annual senior picnic. Before the pandemic it grew to include over a thousand attendees. Providing tables and seating for that many seniors proved a challenge. During the pandemci, the picnic was converted to a drive-thru for safety reasons. They discovered that the new method “allowed us to connect with and serve a larger population of seniors.”
The event will take place on June 10th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at SAC Park in Shrewsbury. Attendees must pre-register by this Friday here. The press release promotes:
“The Sherriff’s annual Senior Picnic is always one of my favorite events. Each summer, it is great to reconnect with friends and familiar faces from all over Worcester County. Our older generations have done and continue to do so much for our cities and town. They deserve to be recognized and celebrated,” said Worcester County Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis.
The drive-thru picnic is sponsored by the Worcester County Reserve Deputy Sheriff’s Association and community partners such as CareOne at Millbury, The Overlook, Christopher Heights Assisted Living, The Gun Parlor, Mercadante Funeral Home, Falcone Enterprises, NEPBA Local 550 Worcester County Correction Officers, the Worcester Red Sox, Nuovo Restaurant, and Atlas Distributors.
For questions or to learn more about the event, please call 508-796-2638 or email dostiguy@worcestercountysheriff.org.
