IT’S always a wonderful sight to witness our grandparents have fun and, at the same time, look healthy. The ultimate goal is to keep them on their optimum health as long as we can.
This is why every year, a special day is dedicated for the elderly in order to provide them a well-deserved treat.
September 10 is International Grandparents Day. On this special moment, we celebrate the lives of our dearest grandparents who have been there with us since day one. From infantcy to adulthood, as much as possible they want to see us grow with their guidance. The Araneta group, in partnership with the Health & Fitness, came up with the #LOLDay “Love our Lolo and Lola Day,” where grandparents around the three malls (Gateway, Farmers, and Ali Mall) can experience fun activities that will not only bring them joy but also contribute to their good health.
Sunday became extra special for all the families that passed by the event inside the Araneta malls from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. With a single receipt of P500 purchased from partner-establishments, one grandparent can enter and go to each booths for medical checkups, eye consultation, blood extraction tests and many more.
Upon registration, our beloved lolos and lolas receive a loot bag filled with materials vital for their wellness such as Fitbar snacks, SIP water bottles, coupons from EO Optical, as well as copies of the Health and Fitness, BusinessMirror, Pilipino Mirror, Philippines Graphics and COOK magazines. A designated photo area was also set up for those who wanted to take a piece of remembrance from the momentous afternoon.
Partner brands and companies such as EO Executive Optical, The Medical City, FE Del Mundo Medical Center, Beyond Rehab, Mactycoon, SIP Purified Water, set up tables and interacted with the grandparents as they give them health advices, free medicine and examinations, product samples, and other freebies.
Meanwhile, The Filipino Portrait Artists Guild Inc. shared their talent by giving 20 lucky grandparents their very own sketch of themselves for free. This instantly drew smiles on their faces, which became evident on the portraits handed out to them after a few minutes.
Zumba instructors—the Philippine Twiinz—Alec Pang and Manny Licsi, set the malls on fire when they created a mob of dancers that encouraged the grandparents to join and groove to the beat of the energetic songs. The powerful duo were joined by certified Zumba instructors Bryan Sanipa, Michael Lyon Partosa, Anet Buena, Ted Jimenez, Norman Buena, Harrich Kubong, Jenny Juntila, and Gina Matlas on entertaining and boosing the audience’s energy. This kind of exercise is very popular among the senior citizens. They prefer Zumba from the others because they can showcase their hidden talents and moves in dancing while staying physically fit and active.
Health talks from keynote speakers from The Medical City and Fe Del Mundo Mecial Center enlightened the grandparents on taking care of their health as they age. It’s still important that they are aware of the harmful variants around them that can cause sickness in their systems. Proper maintenance of medicine, exercise, and regular trips to the doctor were suggested by the experts.
There’s more! As a tribute to the grandparents, Binibining Pilipinas Grand International Elizabeth Clenci and Binibining Pilipinas International Mariel De Leon serenaded the lolos and lolas in Gateway. Elizabeth is a bassist who have already reached places through her amazing voice while Mariel had her musical background from being part of the classical music group Opera Belles. Indeed these women are not just beauty and brains, they also have their talents to top it off. Aside from the beauty queens, guest performances from chorale groups graced the ears of the elderly.
Raffle prizes were given out too for those ticket stub numbers called on stage. The event also ran a digital contest to challenge the people in the area to capture memorable photos with their grandparents by using the official hashtag #MyAranetaLOLDayStory on social media posts. Winners get the privilege of a buffet meal for the whole family at Novotel Manila in Araneta. The Araneta Center commissioned partner publications, brands, and medical centers for this one-time event in the hope of promoting health care for the geriatric community through the involvement of these wellness-giving bodies and their own families.
For more information, please visit the following pages of Araneta: www.aranetacenter.net and @AranetaCenter on Facebook and Instagram.
Image credits: Ruth Karla Mae M. Domingo