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LANETT — On Tuesday morning, participants in the Lanett Senior Center welcomed in a new year with prayers for good health, peace, prosperity, joy and happiness.

“We wanted to start a new year the right way,” Senior Center Director Sandra Thornton said. “At our age, the most important thing for any of us is good health. It’s also important to have peace and serenity deep down in your heart. No life is complete without joy and happiness, and we always need to give thanks to God above who makes everything possible.”

Curtis Lewis prayed for good health throughout the year for everyone.

“We don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future,” he said.

A senior center participant, the Rev. Floyd Aikens, prayed for peace and contentment. Fannie Spence prayed for joy and happiness.

“Every one of us needs that joy, joy, joy down in our souls,” Thornton said.

Recreation Director Trent McCants told the seniors that he appreciated every one of them coming to the center on a regular basis. “We want this program to grow,” he said.

Since the Covid outbreak in the spring of 2020, a number of participants switched from coming to the center every Monday through Friday for their meals and having them delivered to their homes by a city bus.

“We are keeping the center as safe as we can,” Thornton said. “We are trying to do fun things to get them to come back.”

On Tuesday, a “Happy New Year” prop was used to take each senior’s picture and to place it on a bulletin board just outside the cafeteria.

At the end of the picture taking, the seniors toasted the new year with some ginger ale.