PROCTORVILLE — It’s a way to reach senior citizens from all over the county.

That’s what the organizers of the inaugural Seniors Picnic hope to accomplish.

The Sybene and Ironton seniors centers are teaming up with AARP to rally all the seniors in the county for a good time Sept. 15 at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds in Proctorville.

Darlene Green, site manager at the Sybene Seniors Center, said the picnic is a way to fill the void left by the annual Lucasville Senior Expo that will not happen this year.

“(The seniors) went to the expo every year,” Green said. “They really loved it.”

Even though this year is only the inaugural year for the picnic, Green said she hopes the event will be big and that it can become an annual event.

“We’re looking for 500 seniors to come,” she said. “We’re hoping.”

And it’s going to be more than just a picnic, Green said.

There will be free food, like hotdogs, beans and cornbread, but there will also be live music and entertainment, crafts, door prizes and games.

The senior picnic will make use of the entire fairgrounds, with booths set up from various businesses and home health agencies and antique cars on display. The picnic will honor veterans and the Ironton VFW will also have a booth set up.

Green said there would be easy access from the parking lot to the inside of the fairgrounds with a shuttle bus. She also said she was looking for volunteers to drive seniors to the picnic, like church vans.

There will also be activities indoors as well as outdoors, so seniors who just want to sit and listen to music will be able to do so in the air conditioning, and volunteers can bring them something to eat.

“We will help them,” Green said.

Green is also looking for volunteers to help serve the seniors and help them get around if needed.

Just like at the Lawrence County Fair, the Senior Picnic will also crown a queen with the help of voters.

The Senior Picnic will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To volunteer or find out more information, contact Green at the Sybene Seniors Center at (740) 894-7569.