We're elected to City Council at the exact same time in 2013 and served for six years together.

So always a pleasure to see you here back at City Hall.

All right.

If I can get this folder open.

A proclamation of the mayor of the City of Norman, Oklahoma, proclaiming the month of September 2026 as Healthy Aging Month in the City of Norman.

Whereas the City of Norman recognizes that older adults are valued members of our community whose experience, knowledge, and continued engagement strengthen the social, cultural, civic, and economic vitality of our city.

And whereas September is recognized as Healthy Aging Month, and the 2026 theme, Curiosity Has No Age Limit, celebrates lifelong learning, creativity, purpose, and resilience while encouraging people of all ages to make healthy choices that support physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being.

And whereas research demonstrates that lifelong learning, regular physical activity, preventive health care, social connection, and a strong sense of purpose contribute to healthier, more independent lives, and healthy aging month encourages residents to embrace new experiences and opportunities for growth at every stage of life.

And whereas the City of Norman is proud to be a member of the AARP network of age-friendly states and communities, and is supported by organizations, healthcare providers, educational institutions, volunteers, businesses, and community partners dedicated to promoting healthy aging, lifelong learning, and community engagement.

And whereas the Adult Wellness and Education Center, operated by Healthy Living Norman, exemplifies this commitment by providing adults age 50 and older with diverse programs that promote the six dimensions of wellness physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, and occupational, helping older adults remain active, connected, and engaged throughout their lives.

Now, therefore, I, Mayor of the City of Norman, Oklahoma, do hereby proclaim the month of September 2026 as Healthy Aging Month in the City of Norman, passed and approved this eighth day of September 2026.

If you'd like to say a few more and city council members, staff members.

As Stephen said, my name is Lynn Miller, and I have the honor to be the chair of the board of Healthy Living Norman.

We are the board that has the MOU with the city that oversees the activities, takes the physical responsibilities for the activities of the Adult Wellness Center.

Everyone that was involved, and many of you in this room were involved with the very very long process, and there were so many people that were involved to make the wellness center a reality.

And I can tell you unequivocally that it is an absolute amazing success.

We have one big problem.

And I know that's not what you wanted to hear.

People are coming out at the seams.

We have so many people there.

It's a wonderful problem to have.

We have over 4,000 members.

And because of our incredible staff led by Catherine, so many activities, so many uh physical things that you can do, drum lines, Broadway shows.

I mean, there is no end.

And one of the things that the staff is just amazing about is they listen to the clients.

They listen to the people that are coming every day.

They do surveys, and when somebody comes up with a good idea, they are on it and they try it out.

And I think that's one of the reasons it's so successful.

But at this time, I'm going to turn it over to Catherine because, like all good staff members, she's the one with the prepared note.

Thanks, Lynn.

Oh, Mayor Holman, members of the City Council, City staff, and everyone here today.

Again, I'm Catherine Lighty, and I'm the executive director of Healthy Living Norman.

I get to do that.

And thank you, Lynn, for leading our board.

It is a real honor for us to accept this proclamation, recognizing September is Healthy Aging Month.

And I especially love this this year's theme, Curiosity Has No Age Limit.

Because there's one thing we see every day at the Adult Wellness and Education Center, and is that getting older does not mean becoming less curious.

In fact, it can open the door to an entire new chapter of curiosity.

Someone decides to try pickleball or line dance for the first time.

Someone takes an art class for the first time in decades.

Someone joins a theater production and discovers a new talent they didn't know they had.

Someone learns a new skill, joins a book club, takes a fitness class, or simply walks through the doors looking for a place to belong.

And those seemingly small decisions can have a very big impact.

Over the past year, more than 4,000 people have been part of Healthy Living Norman with more than 128,000 visits and thousands of opportunities for fitness, art, education, recreation, and social connection.

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

It's movement, it's creativity, it's friendship, it's learning, it's purpose, and it is having a reason to get up in the morning and say, I wonder what I could try next.

That's healthy aging.

And I want to emphasize that Healthy Living Norman is just one piece of a bigger picture.

Norman is fortunate to have dozens of community organizations, nonprofits, healthcare providers, businesses, churches, civic groups, volunteers, and city programs working every day to improve the quality of life for older adults from parks and recreation to health care and nutrition, from transportation and social services to arts, education, volunteer opportunities.

There are people throughout this community working to make sure older adults remain healthy, connected, and independent and engaged.

And that collaboration is what makes Norman such a special place to grow older.

And it connects directly to the vision behind the Norman Forward investment in the Adult Wellness and Education Center, and that's quality of life.

The city created an extraordinary resource, and organizations like ours help bring that resource to life every day.

Helping aging isn't just about adding years to our lives, it's about adding life to those years and making sure Norman continues to be a community where people can thrive at every age.

So thank you, Mayor Holman, City Council, for recognizing the contributions of older adults and for recognizing the importance of healthy aging to the quality of life in our entire community.

Thanks.

And as she mentioned, the Norman Ford Initiative, which was approved by Norman voters in 2015, is what paid for the adult wellness and education center.

What used to would have been known as a senior citizen center, but now it is more than just sitting at a table playing cards or dominoes.

It's really an interactive space.

And the age is 50, so a lot of folks don't think of 50 as older, but really the median age in Norm in Norman in the United States is only 37 years old.