ESCANABA — This year’s Senior Expo, an annual event hosted by the Daily Press to provide the elder residents of the community with information that may be of relevance and interest to them, will be held at the Highland Golf Club on Tuesday, Sept. 24. In addition to speakers, the expo will feature a luncheon and live musical entertainment.

The Highland is a new location for this event; much earlier on, it was held at the Terrace, and last year’s Senior Expo was at the Ruth Butler Building on the fairgrounds. 350 tickets, free to obtain from the Daily Press, were almost all gone at the time of this article’s writing. To enter the event, attendees must bring one non-expired shelf-stable item along with their ticket; the goods will be donated to a local food pantry afterwards.

A solid group of speakers are lined up for the event, some of whom are new to the Senior Expo — meaning repeat guests will have fresh presentations to hear.

Jacob Lynch, an attorney at Ryan and Lynch Law out of Iron Mountain, will discuss topics that relate to “elder law.” Their areas of expertise include estate planning, drafting wills and advance healthcare directives, establishing trusts and more.

John Stapleton of the Delta Area Transit Authority (DATA) will talk about the services offered both in Delta County and beyond, which includes non-emergency medical transport out of the area. DATA has participated in past expos, but not since 2019. There have been a number of changes to resources since then, which he will explain as well.

Cindy Gendron from LakeHouse Assisted Living in Escanaba has information to share about how seniors can plan for life outside the home. LakeHouse offers a range of assistance options as well as temporary respite care for rehabilitation and recovery following hospitalization.

Dr. Keith Connolly from Advanced Center for Orthopedics and Plastic Surgery plans to talk about hip and knee replacements and treatment for arthritis in the hip and knees. While such areas have long been concerning for seniors, advancements have changed the procedures and treatment, and attendees of the expo will learn how.

Dr. El Bizri from U.P. Heath System is experienced in geriatric medicine and directs a program on healthy aging, which he will discuss during his presentation. To promote aging in a healthy way, things like preventative healthcare, behavior education and management of existing conditions are prominent; treatment involves not only medicine but also care for a person’s wellbeing.

Staff from Skradski Family Funeral Homes will be at the Senior Expo to take the pressure out of funeral pre-planning by discussing the logistics with the audience. Along with Pre-Arrangement Coordinator George vanDreel, Funeral directors Jeff Waeghe, Scott Streichert, Jenna Eastin and Jillian Lamb will also be accompanied by Pancake the grief comfort dog, a furry favorite at funerals and events like this.

Lunch of soup, salads and sandwiches, catered by the Highland, will be served from 12:35 to 1:45 p.m.

Shaking things up at the beginning and end of the event, and likely at least once during — probably at lunchtime — will be live music from vocalist Jon Sampson, the one and only Escanaba Elvis.

On the 24th, doors will open for the Senior Expo at the Highland Golf Club at 9 in the morning. The first speaker is scheduled to come on at 9:40 a.m., and the event concludes at 2:30 p.m.