Sooke has many amazing seniors – but only one of them can be crowned spectacular.
Many in Sooke may be familiar with the fundraising efforts for the Sooke Gathering Place, a project put forward by the Sooke Region Communities Health Network (SRCHN) that aims to bring a new seniors' centre to the community.
To achieve this, the SRCHN has hosted a variety of fundraising events – one of the most popular being the Sooke Spectacular Senior contest.
Seniors from the community are nominated to participate and compete to be named Sooke’s Spectacular Senior. That’s not to say the nominees aren’t spectacular – they certainly are – but in the end, only one can wear the crown.
This year’s five nominees are Myrtle Acton, Anne Boquist, Barb Dias, Chuck Minton and Koshin Moonfist – all recognized for the hard work they’ve already put into the community.
“People in the community know us because of the various volunteering things we’ve done,” said Minton.
Dias said she didn’t even realize she was participating in the competition until she learned she’d been nominated – but once she was, she said she was “thrilled.”
Now, the nominees are campaigning to be named the Spectacular Senior. The winner will be the one who collects the most donations for the seniors’ centre – which, of course, is the main goal.
“We’re the only community in the province, practically, that doesn’t have a seniors' centre,” said Boquist.
When asked what their dream centre might include, the nominees suggested an art room and transportation services to ensure accessibility. But ultimately, they said, just having a place to call their own is what matters most.
“The overall benefit I see with the seniors' centre is that seniors will have a place to go, and it will greatly reduce the sense of loneliness they may feel if there’s no such place,” said Minton.
When asked if they were feeling competitive, the answer was a resounding yes. “Absolutely!” and “We’re cutthroat!” they joked – even though they agreed that, in the end, it doesn’t matter who wins.
“The thing is, it doesn’t really matter, right? Because we’re raising money for something we all really want,” said Boquist.
To learn more about the contest, visit https://www.sookeregionchn.org/sooke-spectacular-senior-2025-finalists. You can vote for Sooke’s Spectacular Senior by making a donation to their respective fundraising campaign. Whoever collects the most donations will be crowned Sooke’s Spectacular Senior July 7 at the Sooke Senior and Family Fair, held from 3 to 7 p.m. at John Phillips Memorial Park.
