BROOKSVILLE — The tropics have been quiet lately, but the Hernando County emergency management booth still drew a steady stream of visitors at the Sheriff’s Office’s first Senior Living and Safety Expo.
More than 80 vendors set up at Grace World Outreach Church, where seniors and their families picked up information on preparing for hurricanes and other emergencies, learned about services for older residents and entered contests for prizes, including a TV and gift baskets. The parking lot was nearly full, and volunteers from several groups directed visitors.
Sheriff’s Lt. Scott Lamia said the expo will become an annual event. Along with the vendor booths, it featured several keynote speakers, including Sheriff Al Nienhuis.
“This is an opportunity for people to learn about safety and living, everything from wills to doctors, you name it,” Lamia said.
Rosemarie Champagne of Brooksville came with her husband, Gregory, and her mother in mind.
“I think it’s an excellent event,” she said. “I think that bringing awareness for seniors is very, very important. I’m actually here not for myself but for my mother, and my husband is a senior, so there’s a lot of things we’re learning.”
Gregory Champagne said the couple planned to go through the reading material later.
Sharon Miner of Brooksville used the expo to promote her dog-grooming business while collecting preparedness information of her own.
“Seniors always love swag,” she said, carrying a bag full of handouts.