CHESAPEAKE — The Chesapeake Senior Center has only been open for about a month, but supporters want to make sure it stays open for seniors in the eastern end. That’s why they hosted a combination Christmas party and fundraiser on Monday.

The center, in modular units next to the Chesapeake Community Center, opened on Nov. 1, two years after the Sybene Senior Center closed in South Point.

“There’s a senior center still open in Ironton,” Darlene Green, senior center director, said. “But most of the seniors from Sybene didn’t go to Ironton.”

Green was the director at the Sybene Senior Center, as well as currently running the senior center in Ironton.

“Since Sybene closed, we needed a center at this end of the county,” Green said. “There is still fellowship with the seniors at this end and they still need somewhere to go.”

The center has little outside help to stay open, so most of the things that are there were bought by the seniors.

“The commissioners helped us with tables, chairs and a refrigerator,” Green said. “But most of the supplies that are here were bought by the seniors. This was empty before we opened this up here.”

Seniors gathered at the center Monday morning for the party, which included a reading of a Christmas story, an auction to raise money, an ugly sweater contest and lunch.

Lawrence County Commissioner Freddie Hayes Jr. presented Green with a $250 check before the auction to help support the center.

“We are here to support them any way that we can,” Hayes said. “We want to do everything we can to try and keep this open.”

The center is open three days a week when the seniors come in and meet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“We have Bible studies, bingo, chair exercises and some play cards and dominos,” Green said. “We want to start line dancing at the beginning of January.”

Mary Lou Nicely likes knowing that there is a senior center to go to.

“I am 93 years old and I live alone,” she said. “This is my outlet. I join in on everything. Whatever is going on, I get in on it.”

Bill Nance, of South Point, knows the importance of having a center for area seniors.

“It is important to be able to have something good to do and people to interact with,” he said. “It keeps them from being depressed and gives them something to look forward to.”