Games seniors play

Lisa Billings/Chesterfield Observer Seniors gather at the Bensley Community Building each week to play cards and other games.

Many older adults report it gets more and more difficult as they age to stay busy, make new friends and keep their minds sharp. The Bensley Community Center is a hideaway just waiting to be found that has an answer for all those dilemmas.

The answer is games.

Each week at the community center, older adults get together in groups of 10, 15 and sometimes more to play canasta, bridge, dominos or pinochle.

"We're tucked away in a quiet neighborhood," says David Potter, community building supervisor for the county's Department of Parks and Recreation. "A lot of people don't know we're here."

Yet three days a week as many as 30 seniors gather to compete and have some fun.

"I've met some great people there [at Bensley]," says Dianna Clay, who plays canasta and, occasionally, dominos. "They take great care of us there."

Clay and a friend found the card games after she retired from her job as a controller at West Broad Mitsubishi in 2001. They were looking for something fun to do. "We didn't want to just be wild women out on the street," she says, chuckling.

Other events at Bensley, such as the potluck dinners and arts-and-craft classes have drawn Clay's attention as well. She's made good friends there that she often sees socially outside of Bensley's games and events.

Margaret Miller, a pinochle player who's been playing cards at Bensley since her retirement from her environmental specialist job at Philip Morris USA in 1994, reports they have two or three game tables going all day long, and players switch every hour, so everyone gets a chance to play with everyone else.

The pinochle players meet on Wednesdays. "We're supposed to start at 10 [a.m.]," Miller says. "But we often get there by 9:30 and we play all day long, until 5:30 [p.m.] sometimes."

Some of them pack a lunch, she says, but they don't stop game play to eat - people have to learn to eat and play at the same time.

"We have a good group of people," Miller says. "We enjoy it [pinochle] so much that several of us get together at one of our houses on Thursdays to play some more."

"There's no place for old people to go that doesn't cost money," she adds. The free card games offer seniors a place to go, something to do and people to be with.

Ed Urber, a retired gas station owner and real estate agent, also plays pinochle. He gets together with some of the other pinochle-play- ing men for poker nights.

"It's another excuse to get together to do something fun," he says.

Joyce Wenberg has been playing bridge at Bensley for about 15 years.

"It gives me something to do," says Wenberg, a retired DuPont purchasing representative. "It also helps our minds stay sharp."

Wenberg has a point. Many studies have shown exercising the brain is just as important to our health as we age as exercising our bodies. Keeping our brains active may delay or prevent ailments, such as dementia and Alzheimer's.

Like the others, Wenberg enjoys socializing with people she has something in common with.

"I've made some friends for life [through the Bensley games]," she says.

Each group has a volunteer leader who helps organize the groups and some events, such as a Chinese Christmas party, according to Potter.

Four of the players recently won gold medals in the Senior Games in Virginia Beach. The games come to Richmond next year, and Potter hopes Bensley can be the site for canasta and dominos, so they'll have the home-team advantage.

Despite all the fun and social benefits, Potter notes distinct differences in each of the groups.

"The canasta and dominos groups tend to be more social," says Potter. "They'll bring cookies or cake to share. The pinochle players are very dedicated - they'll play all day long. The bridge players are more structured and competitive. They're experienced players."

Despite their differences, they all have one thing in common. They'd like to have more players, and welcome any seniors who have an interest in any of the games.

Want to play?

All games are held at the Bensley Community Center, 2900 Drewry's Bluff Road. Phone: 275-5321

Canasta and dominos Every Tuesday, 1-4 p.m. Call Peggy Oliver, 739-2688

Pinochle Every Wednesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Call Ed Urber, 675-7044

Intermediate bridge Every Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon Call Joyce Wenberg, 275-5842