Atwater Area Help for Seniors hosts a variety of social, educational, and wellness opportunities for our local seniors throughout the year. AAHFS also actively participates in community events and holds fundraisers such as the annual Lloyd & Darleen Hovey memorial golf tournament to raise awareness and funding for our program. Some of our ongoing & past events are highlighted below. Click here to view the event calendar.
Mexican Train Dominoes every other Tuesday at 12:30 PM: May 13, May 27, June 10, June 24
Games/Activities alternate Tuesdays at 12:30 PM: May 6, May 20, June 3, June 17
Coffee and treats served; Lunch available prior to the activity at 11:30 AM; to order, please call our office at 320-974-8737 by noon the Friday before
Men's Coffee Time every Thursday at 8:30 AM:
Coffee and treats provided. No reservation needed - just show up and join the conversation!
Mark your calendars now for Saturday, July 19, 2025, to join us for the annual Lloyd & Darleen Hovey Memorial Golf Tournament fundraiser held at Atwater's Island Pine Golf Club! Check out the recap below from last year's event and watch for more information to come.
Samstad-Jensen American Legion Post 375 of Atwater and the City of Atwater partnered to develop a veterans memorial park along Highway 12 in Atwater; the memorial was dedicated on Veterans Day. Atwater Area Help for Seniors was proud to help honor our local veterans by serving coffee and cake at the Community Center following the ceremony.
Brittany Schutz of Ecumen, an AAHFS partner, presented each veteran with a gift recognizing their service, including Post Commander Marvin Berger, pictured with his wife, Nancy, and Brittany Schutz.
AAHFS participated in Atwater's Fourth Annual Oktoberfest by sponsoring a bean bag fun toss. Thank you to all 59 participants, and congratulations to the top scorers: Bonnie Rae Dutchak - age 65 and older; Eric Schultz - age 40-64; Rylan Malinaro - age 19-39; Mason Fester - age 11-18; Carter Rogers - age 10 and under. The top scorer in each age group received a $15 Dairy Queen gift card.
AAHFS provided an open-air ride on a sunny fall day through the countryside with views of Carrie and Elizabeth lakes. Upon their return, riders enjoyed apple cider, pretzels and pumpkin bars.
About 100 people attended the 2024 AAHFS Wellness Expo and received valuable health & wellness information, enjoyed snacks and lunch, and had a chance to win door prizes. Seasonal flu vaccinations were administered by Homeland Health to 42 people.
Almost 30 exhibitors participated in the expo, including providers of home care, long-term care, hospice, mental health care, and veterans services, among others. Click here to view/download a complete list of exhibitors and their websites.
Thank you to our attendees, exhibitors, and volunteers for another successful event!
The 2024 golf tournament raised more than $11,700 through registrations, sponsorships, contest fees, and donations! Thank you to the 26 teams of golfers; 30 golf hole sponsors and all who gave donations; Abode Outside for sponsoring the hole-in-one opportunity; more than 30 AAHFS volunteers; and Josh Hagstrom, club pro, for putting together another successful day of golf.
John Cunningham, Brian Mahn, Jerry Hanson, Dave Zaeska ($50 Island Pine gift cards & trophy)
Josh Cunningham, Noah Cunningham, Zach Cunningham, Aaron Lang ($30 Target gift cards & trophy)
Hole Contests: Hole 1: Heather Zimmerman - $25 Island Pine gift card; Hole 3: Charlie Otto - $25 MN Beer Co. gift card; Hole 6: Jeremiah Nelson - $25 Taylors Country Store gift card; Hole 7: AJ Hanson - $25 Island Pine gift card; Hole 9: Jeremiah Nelson - $25 Island Pine gift card; Hole 12: Michael Larson - golf balls; Hole 14: J. Baller - $25 MN Beer Co. gift card; Hole 15: Brad Nichols, Todd Saue, Shannon Hovey, Dustin Grages - 4 $50 cash drawings; Hole 18: Dean Lund - $25 Island Pine gift card
Random Team Drawings: Mark Herman, Adam Herman, Brian Fredrick, Rachelle Fredrick - 4 $25 Wick's Meat Shoppe gift cards; Shannon Elton, Jill Anderson, Renae Boxwell, Jeff Lange - 4 $25 Carlson Meat Shop gift cards; Sandy Walsh, Jess Halvorson, Carol Schaefer, Darla Fagerlie - 4 Yeti cups; Brian Hovey, Brooks Miller, Courtney Miller, Kaden Miller - 4 Bushmills caps; Erin Hovey & Alex Hovey - MN Beer Co. t-shirts & visors; Jon Broman - Buer Electric sweatshirt; Tyler Anderson - Buer Electric hat
Random Individual Drawings: Ashley Buer - cooler bag; Sterling Bargfrede - cooler bag; Travis Knisley - golf balls
Raffles: Mark Herman: rake with scratch-off tickets; Jared Pistulka: Twins game package; Mark Streed: laser-engraved eagle
AAHFS partnered with the Atwater Public Library to participate in Atwater's National Night Out events. We provided activities for children that helped them understand physical challenges other people face, such as eyeglasses smeared with Vaseline to represent visual problems and popcorn kernels in socks & shoes to simulate sensory issues. After trying the popcorn in his shoes, one young boy recognized the pain his dad lives with due to neuropathy.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign throughout the U.S. that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. Visit https://natw.org/ for more information.
More than 85 people from Atwater and 10 surrounding communities attended a presentation by Joseph Gaugler, PhD, on Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Gaugler is a U of M professor and director at the U of M's School of Public Health; he provides educational outreach on Alzheimer's Disease and dementia with a goal of visiting all 87 Minnesota counties. Dr. Gaugler discussed dementia types; 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's; new insights about dementia treatments and care; and the latest research into risk factors and lifestyle changes to lower risks. To read & download his presentation, click here.
Atwater Police Chief Ross Johnson (pictured), Atwater Officer Noah Maschino, and Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Kent Baumann served the meal to attendees. Additional resources were provided by the Alzheimer's Association, Senior LinkAge Line, MN River Area Agency on Aging, and Compassionate Cottage.
AAHFS sponsored a bake sale as part of the solar eclipse event at the Atwater Public Library, which provided treats for those in attendance and brought in $244 to support our program. Although clouds didn't allow the partial eclipse to be seen, more than 60 adults and children in attendance still enjoyed the event that featured a local amateur astronomer sharing information and NASA TV live streams of the eclipse across the U.S. Attendees also enjoyed free grilled hot dogs and chips provided by the Atwater Lions Club and hot & cold beverages offered by the Public Library.
Nearly 100 people took the opportunity to enjoy a morning of conversation along with coffee and the famous AAHFS caramel rolls. Attendees also were able to learn about the resources available from the Aging Eyes initiative. More than $1,000 was collected in the free will donation that will benefit program services to local older adults.
Joel Gratz, CPA & managing partner, and
Lindsay Kranz, manager, of Christianson CPAs & Consultants shared valuable information about the process of planning for what will happen to your estate and reviewed the steps necessary to ensure your desires are accomplished effectively. Attendees also had the opportunity to ask specific questions. Hear Joel share key points about estate planning by clicking here to listen to Ask the Experts on KWLM Willmar's radio talk show.
Audrey Nelsen, Certified Preplanning Consultant at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home, presented information about the importance of planning ahead for funeral services and reviewed the costs of services. Funeral costs are predicted to increase up to 65% over the next 15 years, so preplanning and prefunding can lessen the financial burden on family, as well as making sure the family knows what arrangements their loved one wanted. For more information and for preplanning forms & checklists, click here to visit the Peterson Brothers website.
AAHFS arranged a visit for a dozen ladies to Dykstra Gardens near Blomkest, MN to view the extensive flower gardens and enjoy a homemade lunch featuring vegetable garden produce; free will donations benefit Wheelchairs for Guatemala.
Each August, the senior men are invited to the home of Dave & Joan Gatzmeyer to view and reminisce about tractors of vintages from the 1940s to present day owned by the Gatzmeyers and their neighbors. The group also enjoys coffee and homemade treats and leave with gifts of Joan's jelly and other home-canned items.
Nancy Drange, a retired nurse practitioner formerly specializing in family medicine at CentraCare, offered education about the physical, cognitive, and social changes of aging and how you can adapt to maintain the quality of life you desire. Nancy discussed preventive care measures to be taken at 50, 60, and 70 years to help age healthfully, as well as foot care facts and advanced care planning. She also informed attendees about MyPlate.gov, a U.S. Department of Agriculture website that outlines healthy eating; click here to access the site's nutrition tips for older adults. Attendees enjoyed a chicken salad lunch provided by AAHFS.
Lucy R. Brink, a nurse practitioner and certified diabetes care & education specialist with CentraCare, presented on diabetes awareness, risk factors, symptoms, and types. Attendees learned useful information about the pancreas' role in insulin production, insulin resistance, diabetes' effects, and the importance of glucose management through exercise and healthy eating. AAHFS served a healthful meal of turkey sandwiches, vegetable tray, and fruit. For information on the services, resources, and diabetes self-management education offered by CentraCare Diabetes Care, visit their website.
AAHFS hosted a free presentation by Sarah Tarleton that provided tips on fall prevention and demonstrated skills to improve balance, strength, and fitness for seniors. Sarah is a Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) program manager at Ecumen of Litchfield, as well as a Master Certified Trainer for Stay Active & Independent for Life (SAIL), an evidence-based fall prevention program for older adults. For more information about the SAIL classes offered by AAHFS, visit our Health and Wellness page.
The Atwater Police Department and AAHFS hosted a free presentation by Detective Kent Baumann of the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office. More than 85 people attended and received information about frauds and scams active in our area, ways to protect ourselves from scam activity, and resources & next steps that scam victims can take. Resource information from Senior LinkAge Line was also provided (click here to download). Attendees also enjoyed a complimentary lunch from the Handle Bar provided by the Atwater PD.