September is National Senior Center Month across the nation, and the Turlock Senior Center will celebrate with an end-of-summer luau from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 12.

The center is located at 1191 Cahill St.

“We’re going to stick to an Hawaiian format,” said Karen Valek, president of Turlock Senior Citizens. “We’re going to barbecue Hawaiian chicken and beef, with rice and a salad. It’ll be a traditional Hawaiian meal.”

The meal is only for members, who are allowed to bring one guest.

“The guest doesn’t necessarily have to be a senior,” said Valek. “But it is our idea to use the luau to entice people to join the organization.”

In addition to the luau, the center will be adding mahjong and hand-and-foot to its weekly rotation of games.

The center doesn’t keep traditional hours, opening to members — you must be 50 or older and dues are $25 per year — only when activities are offered. The weekly schedule is as follows (all classes are free unless noted):

Monday — low-impact exercise from 8-8:40 a.m., walk and firm from 8:45 to 9:15 a.m., chi gong from 9:15 to 10 a.m. ($5 per class), spinner/dominoes from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. ($1.25, available on first and fourth Mondays of the month), and billiards from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesday — chair yoga from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. ($5 per session), acrylic painting class from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., chorus/ukulele from 10 to 11 a.m., billiards from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., crochet/knitting class from 1-2:30 p.m., beginning line dancing from 2:30-3:30 p.m. ($3 per hour), intermediate line dancing from 3:30-4:30 p.m. ($3 per hour).

Wednesday — low-impact exercise 8-8:40 a.m., walk and firm (8:45-9:15 a.m.), beginning line dancing from 9:30-10:30 a.m. ($3 per hour), intermediate line dancing from 10:30-11:30 a.m. ($3 per hour), billiards from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., quilting class 1-3 p.m., bunco 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (every third Wednesday, $10), pinochle 1-4 p.m., big band practice and dance 6-8 p.m.

Thursday — no events scheduled.

Friday — low-impact exercise 8-8:40 a.m., walk and firm (8:45-9:15 a.m.), beginning line dancing from 9:15-10:15 a.m. ($3 per hour), intermediate line dancing from 10:15-11:30 a.m. ($3 per hour, no class on the second Friday of the month), board meeting from 10:30 a.m.-noon, billiards from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., bingo from 1-2 p.m. (second and third Fridays of the month, $2 per card), bridge from 1-4 p.m. (except for the third Friday of the month).

The Turlock Senior Citizens also provides lunch for the public on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday beginning at 11:30, in collaboration with the City of Turlock and the County of Stanislaus Area Agency on Aging.

Lunch is free for anybody 60 and older, regardless of whether you’re a member of the center (a $4 donation is appreciated, but not required), while those 59 and younger can pay $7 for lunch. Reservations are required. Call 209-480-7381 between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. the day before you’d like to attend lunch.

A Turlock seniors club first originated in 1957, and Turlock Senior Citizens was officially incorporated in 1962. Currently, the non-profit has more than 300 members.

“It’s just nice that the city maintains the building for us,” said Valek. “That’s very helpful for seniors. It is greatly appreciated. We would not be able to run that building on our own. We couldn’t afford it.”