Moving from the mall to the new location at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, visiting seniors were able to escape Wednesday’s excessive heat with free ice cream, popcorn and lemonade while also learning about the many professional services available to them in Marshalltown.

“The nice thing about the Senior Expo is that we have a group of vendors that tailor to their needs,” Times-Republican advertising representative Malette Glader said.

Helping plan the event, Glader assisted in bringing in close to 20 vendors ranging from assisted living facilities, retirement communities, health care providers and insurance companies.

Glader said the purpose of the event is to help seniors interact in-person with helpful services available to them in Marshalltown while in one place, a benefit for seniors who may no longer be driving.

The Willows of Marshalltown Assistant Facilities Director David Wignall hands a cup of free ice cream to a Senior Expo attendee.

“It’s one thing searching someone out, but when you have everybody here they can go right around and speak to each of them face to face, you don’t have to go to a bunch of different places,” Glader said. “We have vendors who come from the Des Moines area and around, so getting them in one location makes a huge difference to them and is more convenient, so they can at least get information in their hands and follow-up with them later.”

While many of the vendors tailor toward the needs of seniors, she said some of the vendors have offerings for everyone, such as the Marshall County Landfill who provided information about recycling at the event.

DJ Country Tours is a travel company providing trips to multiple destinations throughout the United States.

“We pick up in Marshalltown, and we go anywhere from California to Utah to New England,” DJ Country Tours Owner and President Janine McCarthy said.

She said a lot of her clients are in the senior age range, a population who wants to travel but doesn’t always want to do so by car. McCarthy instead picks them up on a bus and does all the work for them.

The Willows of Marshalltown, an assisted living and memory care facility in Marshalltown, handed out quite a bit of free ice cream at the event.

“I think it’s great for the seniors to come out and socialize and see what all these people are about,” The Willows of Marshalltown Facilities Director Blake Dodd said.

Seniors Mary and Don Hunrichouse attended this year’s Senior Expo once again, having attended the last expo in 2019 and were drawn back this year. As to what stood out to them the most, Don said it was the ice cream while Mary said it was the people.

“Everyone has been very gracious and generous,” Mary said.

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Contact Trevor Babcock at 641-753-6611 or tbabcock@timesrepublican.com.