At the heart of the four events featured on the Cochrane Seniors Sports Day is fun. It always has been since the first one was held in 2011.

Participants must agree because nearly 40 people from six communities have already preregistered for this year's event being on Sept. 21. There's bocce, euchre, floor shuffleboard and pickleball. The cost is a reasonable $5 and includes lunch.

Skill level is not important, explains Doug Campbell, area director for Zone 2 Big Country Seniors Sports Society (BCSSS). First-timers and seasoned players are all welcome and workshops are being offered by veterans of the sports.

Campbell says it's all about creating opportunities for seniors to stay active and to meet new people.

"Cochrane is growing so fast," says Campbell. "I've just met two couples from Ontario and one from Manitoba, so it's a great way to meet people from the same age group."

"A lot of it is social and networking and a lot of us are volunteers, so it's a good way to recruit volunteers."

Bocce will be played at the Bow RiversEdge Campground, pickleball on the new courts by the Frank Wills Hall on 1st St. E. and both floor shuffleboard and euchre will be played at Seniors on the Bow (STOB) upstairs in the SLS Family Sports Centre. The registration table is at SOTB where lunch will also be served.

Keeping with the idea of making it inclusive, participants aren't required to be a member of the BCSSS or AB 55 Plus. Age brackets are used to level the playing field.

The entry deadline is Sept. 10. To participate, contact either Doug Campbell (403-932-6866 or via email dec@cabsi.ca) or Jennifer MacKenzie (403-862-5585 or via email jimdave@shaw.ca).

The senior sports day returned last year after a two-year absence and attracted over 50 participants from Cochrane, Springbank, Cremona, High River and Airdrie.

Big Country (Zone 2) stretches from the B.C. to Saskatchewan border and includes communities from Sundre and Three Hills on the north and High River on the south.