WS Chronicle

By Judie Holcomb-Pack

What many may say is long overdue, Chuck Vestal is being honored by The Chronicle’s Community Service Awards with the For Seniors Only award on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. on Facebook Live.

Chuck has dedicated over ten years to helping older adults in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County stay engaged with an active lifestyle. When you think of Senior Games, Chuck immediately comes to mind. He has often said, “I play at work.” His enthusiasm and commitment has led Piedmont Plus Senior Games/SilverArts to become one of the most successful Senior Games in the state.

Chuck has worked for the City since 1994 and spent the last 10 years with the Recreation and Parks department. Since joining the department team as the Adult Recreation Program Supervisor, he has worked to develop and improve programs offered to individuals 50 years of age and better with the intent of providing affordable healthy lifestyle options. He created GrandGames for grandparents and their grandchildren to “compete” in activities and earn points for prizes. For children who didn’t have grandparents available to team up with, Chuck encouraged volunteers to “adopt” a grandkid so they could also compete in the Games. It made for not only an exciting and competitive event, but created special memories for these grandchildren. Chuck also started the rapidly growing sport of chair volleyball in partnership with the Salvation Army and Arbor Acres, which he hopes to one day become one of the competitive events in the state Senior Games.

Judith Ruff, a long-time participant in Senior Games who serves on the SilverArts committee, said, “Chuck has been instrumental in promoting the Senior Games and the SilverArts program, always going the extra mile to make everything work and bringing it to what it is today. He is such an outgoing, positive leader and very organized and inclusive. I had been entering in the SilverArts for years when he asked me to be on the SilverArts committee and it is a pleasure to work with him.”

Ruff is also a grandmother and has participated in GrandGames with her grandchildren. She explained, “I have also been involved with him in the GrandGames twice a year, bringing grandparents paired with their grandchildren to compete by playing games for prizes. Such fun! Thank you, Chuck, for your dedication!”

After serving the City of Winston-Salem for nearly 30 years, Chuck is looking forward to retirement next summer and starting a new chapter in his life. He can now qualify as a “senior” and continue with Senior Games, but as a competitor. Chuck’s heart is now – and will always be – with the older adults in our community. 

We congratulate Chuck Vestal as the recipient of the 2020 Winston-Salem Chronicle’s For Seniors Only award.

To view The Chronicle’s Community Awards presentations on Dec. 5, go to their Facebook page @Facebook.com/wschronicle or on YouTube at winstonsalem_Chronicle. The live-streamed event will begin at 7 p.m.