If you like classic country music, come to the Jamboree/Christmas Dance on Saturday December 9, 2017 at the Sulphur Springs Senior Citizen Center at 150 MLK Drive. Music will begin at 6pm with Roger Reed and the Jamboree Band. Come to dance or just watch the dancers, and enjoy some punch and cookies, good old-fashioned fun and country music. Cost to attend is $10 person, but anyone may donate more if they wish because all proceeds go to the Senior Citizens Building Fund. Program Director Karon Weatherman hopes the construction of a new, larger multi-purpose facility can begin in 2018 to better serve the Senior Citizen population of Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County. Karon and Roger both invite everyone to enjoy Saturday’s fundraising event.
The Reilly Springs Jamboree is an opry-style country stage show which got started in 1956. Roger Reed directs the music for the historic Reilly Springs Jamboree each month at it’s original home location, the Reilly Springs Community Center which is an old schoolhouse. This “original Hopkins County music venue” is located at 109 CR 1439 near the southeastern edge of Hopkins County close to Yantis. In it’s infancy, Jamboree shows were broadcast on KSST Radio on Saturday nights. Today, shows are held on the historic stage each month on the third-Saturday night and feature a house band plus guest talent performing traditional county and gospel music. Making up the house band currently are Gary Jones who traveled with the Ray Price band for a number of years, and Don Woods Jr. from Wood County who is frequently in Nashville as a recording artist . Also appearing at the Christmas Dance will be Shanna Carter of the country/gospel group “Walk the Line”. Shanna’s parents met each other when they were teen performers on the Reilly Springs Jamboree during the 1950’s, then married and raised Shanna and her brother Terry in the music business. Enola Gay Mathews, Jamboree producer since 1996, will serve as emcee at the Christmas Dance.
Why does the Seniors Center need a new location? The approximately 5,000 square-foot building has been outgrown. Just a few of the things that go on there regularly are exercise-for-health classes, 42 games and bingo, Driving School and self-help classes, line-dancing, yoga and Tai Chi, painting and arts/crafts classes and many other group interests. It is a meeting place for various Seniors organizations including the Ms. Hopkins County Senior Pageant. It’s kitchen houses the Meal-a-Day program which serves about 120 persons daily through delivered meals and walk-in dining. Meal-a-day operates Monday through Friday and is closed only three days per year on holidays, and all food preparation and delivery is done by a volunteer staff.
Currently, the Building Fund holds about $20,000 and the deed to a building site. If you can donate to this effort, please drop off a check during the Christmas Dance or during Meal-a-Day hours, or you can mail a check to Sr. Center Building Fund, 150 MLK Drive, Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482.
Karon Weatherman, Senior Center Director and Roger Reed, bandleader and co-producer of the Reilly Springs Jamboree
