A bountiful breakfast with 50 North

Seniors from Roscoe, Rockton, South Beloit and surrounding communities were invited, free of charge, to a sumptuous breakfast on Oct. 12, 2023 at the Roscoe Township Community Center, 4562 Hononegah Road, Roscoe, IL.

The breakfast was hosted by Roscoe Township and 50 North, a non-profit activity center, founded in 2022 by a group of women who were determined to create a space to bring senior members together to enjoy activities and educational opportunities.

Each month, 50 North hosts a different program.  It might be a speaker, musical entertainment or a learning experience. There are no fees. Refreshments are provided.

Four years ago, Diana La Forge and a group of friends sensed there was a shortage of opportunities for seniors to stay connected.  Seniors needed a place to socialize with old friends.

They group reached out to surrounding communities to see if there was an interest in starting a senior activity center.  The response was very positive.

There would be no charge for seniors. Funding would be through grants and donations.

After a lot of effort and planning, the non-profit organization was launched in 2019.

La Forge is president of the 50 North board of directors, with Jane Schmall as secretary and John Schmall as treasurer.  Roxanne Smith, Mark Grace and Jeanne Nichols serve on the board. Gwen Stook is the activity and programming director.

Anyone interested in joining 50 North and learning about upcoming programs can contact Diane LaForge at 815-624-4448, or email 50NorthActivityCenter@gmail.com to get on their email list

As the name implies, members must be 50 years old and up.

New memberships and new programs continue to grow. Members usually meet at the Rockton Community Center, 303 W. Main Street in Rockton, on the first and third Tuesday of each month. However, this summer, meetings and activities were moved to the Roscoe Township Community Center at 4562 Hononegah Road, while repairs and renovations were completed at the Rockton Center.