Several hundred area adults attended a recent Apache Junction Senior Expo hosted by Independent Newsmedia that showcased more than 40 businesses as vendors and sponsors.
Seniors and families from Apache Junction, Gold Canyon and neighboring communities attended the expo the morning of Jan. 9 at Central Arizona College, 805 S. Idaho Road in Apache Junction.
There were a variety of businesses with information on health care and wellness, home improvement, financial services, insurance, retirement living and more at the event hosted by Independent Newsmedia.
Susan Grometer, a five-year winter resident of Apache Junction, was surprised vendor Prime IV Hydration & Wellness offered on-site vitamin shots.
“I had a vitamin D shot; I’ve never had a shot. I’ve taken vitamin D capsules so it’s kind of interesting. I’m anxious to see how that plays out. Of all the things I have seen, that was the most interesting,” she said.
Grometer attended the senior expo with a group of friends.
“There was a whole crew of my buddies coming and that’s the reason,” she said.
Catherine Perez, a two-year resident of Apache Junction, attended the Apache Junction Senior Expo to pick up free literature and also to meet with a health care provider, which ended up not attending.
“But I picked up a lot of really good information. That’s why I came — to just see what they have,” she said.
Betty Parker, a 30-year winter resident of Apache Junction, signed up to receive a free massage from a vendor.
“Well, I’m going to get a massage and see how it feels,” she said.
Parker liked that there were various services offered at the senior expo.
“Well, knowing that there are professionals around if you need them,” she said.
Connie Cutler, co-owner of Colt’s Simple Stuff Services in Queen Creek, attended as a vendor to talk about a new subscription-based program to provide single, monthly or quarterly visits for seniors for home maintenance or safety repairs.
“We are residential contractors and so being in hundreds of homes throughout the years — repairing and restoring things for people — we’ve noticed the seniors are having trouble getting up on ladders and doing simple tasks and maintenance for their home,” she said. “It’s been really nice to talk to everybody; we just love getting to know people.”
Rory McLaughlin, of Lifetime Windows and Doors in Phoenix, said he has been a vendor at other Independent Newsmedia senior expos in the Valley.
“Demographics and obviously they know how to attract people. They are alway busy,” he said when asked why he was a vendor at the Apache Junction Senior Expo.
Allison Carman, owner of A Place For Seniors, from northeast Phoenix, did four expos last year and decided to attend the one in Apache Junction to promote her business, a free service to educate seniors decide on independent living, assisted living, memory care and home care.
“What I want to do is get to know the community of Apache Junction and all of these people living in mobile home parks and stuff. What I want to do is put on seminars for them. So now I have come contacts and information and can send that out and I can invite them to the free seminar with coffee and donuts and then we can talk,” she said. “I’ve worked with well over 5,000 families placing either their mom or their dad or the seniors themselves,” she said. “I match them up with the right community ad I take them our on personal tours. So we’re a full-service company; I have four other agents who work with me.”
The expo included a range of products and services related to retirement and improved style of living, that featured:
• AFC Physical Medicine & Chiropractic
• Alignment Health
• Amazing Dental
• Archwell Health
• Arizona Corporation Commission Securities Division
• Arizona Medicare & Insurance Solutions/Red Mountain Funeral Home
• Arizona Window and Door Store
• AZ MKRealty
• Backfit
• Banner Goldfield
• Brookdale
• Captel
• Centene/Wellcare
• Christian Distributing
• Club Travelo
• Colt’s Simple Stuff Maintenance
• Devoted Health
• Home Concepts/Bath Remodel
• Humana
• Jarman Insurance
• Legacy Lending USA
• Lifetime Windows & Doors/Bath and Shower
• Luke Caswell-Biotronik
• Midwestern University/Body Donation Program
• New Horizon Dental Center
• Oak Street Health
• OsteoStrong/Joel Bell
• Pella Windows and Doors
• PGIA
• Phelps LaClair
• Placement Helpers
• Prime IV Hydration & Wellness
• Renewal By Anderson
• Sage Mera/Sparrow
• Skin & Cancer Institute
• Tri City Cardiology
• Triad Pain Group/Carri Baca
• Village Medical
• Woodfield RV
For information on future senior expos, call 623-972-6101, email AZads@iniusa.org or go to yourvalley.net/events.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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