With ongoing support from the Knox City Council Community Development Fund and the Multicultural Seniors Grant, the Knox Community Chess Enthusiasts (KCCE) celebrated the holiday season at its Auspice Coonara Community House on December 7. The event provided a unique twist as attendees soaked into the festive atmosphere playing social chess and the Filipino traditional family game sungka with its history and ‘how to play’ rules initially introduced to KCCE by Knox Wellness Group member Zen Geronimo.
KCCE President Eddie Atacador acknowledged family, friends, members and volunteers particularly Ken Fletcher awarded with a certificate of appreciation for having strongly supported KCCE since its inception nearly eight years ago. President Atacador also made special mention of his wife Lita Atacador with her ongoing and behind-the-scene efforts contributing to the success of KCCE.
Multicultural Seniors Volunteer Coordinator Mandy Limb and Coonara Community House Manager Sandra Romero united in praising Atacador for his proactive efforts in creating social connections and reducing isolation among multicultural seniors. CCH Manager Romero also recounted KCCE’s strong involvement in community events such as the Knox Seniors Festival, the Knox Over-55s Zest4Life, the Bright Ideas Network and the Ferntree Gully Market.
Romero likewise reaffirms how chess improves cognitive skills, concentration, decision-making, confidence and attention span, among other benefits, and through the game of chess, KCCE has significantly contributed to the general health and wellbeing of seniors in the community. She reiterated how KCCE chess tournaments continue to grow at its Knox City community space and with it the wide spread of intergenerational chess players participating from all ages and abilities.
The Coonara House Christmas gathering on December 7 was a great opportunity for community members to come together while playing chess and sungka, reflecting on the importance and power of social connectivity to reduce loneliness, particularly among the elderly. A tableful of mouth-watering food and a sizzling BBQ tempted everyone’s tastebuds while the lively karaoke evoked some nostalgic festive feeling with songs that tickled everyone’s dancing feet to cheery cha-cha.
To everyone’s delight, the Wannabes of the Knox Wellness Group (Zen Geronimo, Lita Atacador, Luvy Esquejo and Gwena Cordero) danced the lively Feliz Navidad Cha-Cha. Cely ‘Ebony’ Farquhar also performed an interpretative number with her unsurprising graceful moves.
The raffle draws also created some excitement but the social chess and sungka game played throughout the event provided a unique cultural twist to the Christmas party considered one-of-a-kind, heart-warming with a true sense of belonging and nostalgic joy radiating from everyone’s happy faces.
