For years, the Cass County Council on Aging has served the community through its programs, events and its two centers.

Now the COA is working to change the stigma that it only serves senior citizens. While the organization certainly does work to make sure its events are inclusive to senior citizens, everyone is getting older.

“It’s important to reach out to let them know what’s available at the COA,” said Heidi Powell, who works in community development with the COA. “I know it’s the Council on Aging but everyone is aging. I’m aging, you’re aging and I feel like getting the word out about that is the most important part of the activity.”

Powell is hoping that the COA’s two upcoming events can help bridge that gap.

The COA will host its first poker run from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday in Sister Lakes. For the event, attendees will go to five different locations in the Sister Lakes area. Each location is within walking distance from the others. These locations are The Strand, Driftwood, across the street from Capt’n Jack’s, Dockside Dan’s and Sister Lakes Brewing.

Each person will have a lanyard with a ticket hanging from it. At each spot, they will draw a playing card and write down what they drew on the back of their ticket.

After everyone has drawn a card at each spot, the person with the best poker hand will win $100. The event costs $20 to enter, and proceeds will go towards paying for the COA’s Open Doors Campaign, which provided its Front Street Crossing location with automatic doors at multiple entrances.

“We actually received a $4,000 grant from the Pokagon [Foundation] to put in automatic handicap doors at our cafe entrance, as well as our front door,” Powell said. “We already installed those because we obviously had to use the grant money right away. We were $2,700 shy, so we started this campaign and did this poker run to try and [cover the extra costs].”

The next event is the COA’s annual auction: Blues, Brews and BBQ from 5 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 25 at the organization’s Lowe Center. The cost to attend is $50 per person or $400 to reserve a table of eight.

“The Blues, Brews and BBQ is our annual Meals on Wheels fundraiser,” Powell said. “And that is to sponsor people who are less fortunate and can’t afford the meals on wheels. We fund those. Last year we delivered 14,000 meals in Cass County.”

The auction will feature a BBQ dinner, music played by the Out of Favor Boys, beverages from Sister Lakes Brewing and Sun Valley Winery, and both a silent and live auction.

According to Powell, a few of the items that will be auctioned include: tickets to Disney World, a weekend getaway to Detroit and a Sister Lakes Brewing package.

This is an event that adults of all ages can enjoy.

“I think a lot of times we feel that we kind of leave out the seniors or the older population,” Powell said. “We don’t necessarily leave them out intentionally, but we try not to plan activities that they just don’t feel a part of. I feel like this is more of a thing they can feel a part of it. Like they have a stake in the game and also can invite people to it.”