LUCASVILLE - Up and down the walkways, shuttles and golf carts made their way through the Scioto County Fairgrounds Friday, as nearly 3,500 area senior citizens took part in the annual Senior Expo, sponsored each year by Area Agency on Aging District 7.

Tabitha Walters of Genesis Home Care and Donna Southworth of Interim Home Healthcare, were dressed as Tinker Bell and Captain Hook, respectively, as they gave away treasure maps and pens.

Walters said the treasure maps gave the directions to Genesis, and Southworth said the same was done for Interim's treasure maps.

Peggy Scott, of James W. Irwin Post 622 in Minford, was selling tickets for a $200 shopping spree at Wal-Mart. She said she had sold about 200 tickets.

Dorothy Williams, also representing the post, said the shopping spree would be good at any Wal-Mart store in Ohio.

At the table representing the Scioto County Senior Employment Center, Judy Arbaugh said she had been giving away lint brushes, mirrors and brochures.

Nearby, Kim Broughton and Beckie Bryans, representing Home Helpers, said they had given away about 1,000 informational brochures and key chains. Home Helpers, Broughton explained, supplies personal care and homemaking services to those in need. This is the first year they had attended the Senior Expo and said they were amazed at how busy it had been.

Ruth Pence of Adams County said she had been coming to the expo for nearly 20 years.

"It used to be held in Rio Grande, then they moved it to Scioto County. I've been coming ever since," she said.

Pence is a former driver for the Senior Citizens Center in Adams County. She came to the expo with two friends, and said they had fasted so they could get some blood work completed.

While this was the first year for an antique car show that was being well received by participants, another event taking place was National Preparedness Month activities sponsored by the Ohio-Scioto County Citizen Corps, which targeted all the senior citizens from across Ohio who attended Friday's event.

As part of the expo, the Citizen Corps National Preparedness Month Program activities featured Scioto County's Project Lifesaver local search and rescue capabilities for missing seniors. The need for such programs has been highlighted in a bill recently signed by Gov. Ted Strickland regarding "Senior Alerts." Similar to "Amber Alerts" for missing children, the bill authorizes use of the Emergency Alert System tone to alert citizens on who is missing and will give a description and number to call.

Scioto County's Senior Program also featured LASAR - Land and Air Search Rescue Team from LIFE Ambulance, which also includes the Scioto County Citizen Corps CERT - Community Emergency Response Team wing. These individuals can assist local agencies in ground and air searches for missing seniors in non-emergency situations and in times of disaster. They will join forces with the RSVP - Retired Senior Volunteer Program - for locating special seniors with Alzheimer's Disease that have a radio signal tracking device.

Sheriff and police department program participants also were on hand along with LIFE Ambulance units and the Emergency Alert System and the Senior Buddy Disaster Program, which encourages seniors to buddy up and help each other in emergency situations. EMA also handed out literature about EAS and ways seniors can be ready in times of emergency or disaster.

For more information, contact EMA Director Kim Carver at (740) 355-8300, or RSVP Director Vicki Daily at (740) 354-3137.

DEBORAH DANIELS can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 234.