Scarborough Ontario Seniors Association

SOSA  HOLDS CHRISTMAS 2014 CELEBRATION

By Fe Paca-Taduran
Scarborough-Canada
December 10, 2014



The Scarborough Ontario Seniors Association recently held its Christmas Celebration Dinner Dance at the Centennial Recreational Centre in Scarborough, Ontario. The event was graced by Senator Tobias (Jun) Enverga and his wife, Rosemer.

SOSA is a group of 55 years old and above who live in Scarborough in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its mission is to lengthen life with quality living. Members exercise through line-dancing, ballroom dancing, TaiChi, walking and other physical activities. They also have sessions in healthy eating, computers and internet literacy and exercise our minds through mental exercises like puzzles, Sudoku, crosswords, mahjong, Scrabble, Monopoly and Brain Age Academy, bowling and tennis using the Nintendo Wii.

SOSA is headed by its president, Carol Banez, a well-known leader in the Filipino community.  Banez is a retired geriatric nurse and has been the president of the Philippine Heritage Band, a very popular youth marching band based in Vaughan. The SOSA also has a Seniors' Rondalla which has played in many community events, including the Philippine Independence Day flag-raising ceremonies at the Parliament in Ottawa.

Aside from Ms. Banez, the other SOSA Officers include: Julio Sison, past president of the Binalonan Association of Ontario, is the association's vice president. Jane Baquiran - Ducusin is the secretary and May Nepomuceno Amparado is the treasurer. The board of directors are Judge Delano Europa (my husband Jojo Taduran remembers him as a close kin of Prudencio Europa, former editor- in - chief of the now defunct Philippine newspaper, Evening News); Willie Rapanan, who for several years served as president of the Pangasinan Association of Canada (PACA); and Peter de la Pena. Eva Duragos and  Ning Baquiran - Austria are the press relations officers. The appointed coordinators are Dorie Thomas, Alma Benemerito, Elvie Garcia, and Ditas Boctor.

Banez, said that the SOSA members look forward to their Saturday activities. She says that the socialization enables the seniors to gain friends and be active.  During the celebration, birthday celebrants were also honored, something the members appreciate. New members are always being welcomed by the group. 

(Fe Paca-Taduran, St. Jamestown News Service)