SANDPOINT — Dancing is a lifelong pursuit that not only makes people joyful, fit and social but also keeps them mentally sharp, according to scientific research.

Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. is sponsoring an event on Saturday designed to give current and future senior citizens the opportunity to improve their minds, bodies and spirits while raising funds for essential community services.

“Among leisure activities, reading, playing board games, playing musical instruments, and dancing were associated with a reduced risk of dementia,” according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study followed 469 subjects over the age of 75 for five years. It found that those who regularly engaged in leisure activities like dancing reduced their risk of developing such cognitive diseases as Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.

The SASi annual fundraiser and dinner dance takes place this Saturday at Bonner County Fairgrounds. SASi has scheduled several additional activities that promise something for just about everyone.

“The event for the whole community will start at 3 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. Dinner is being donated by area restaurants including Ivano's, Trinity, Tango and Winter Ridge, and it will be served at 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. A silent auction with amazing items will be going until 8:30 p.m. Some of these items include the original paintings from the Save the Elder Tree effort from the parking lot project. Other items include golf packages at regional golf courses, gift certificates and artwork and photographs,” said Ellen Weissman, executive director of SASi.

A dance marathon will take place throughout the afternoon, and a casino section will offer blackjack, craps and Texas hold'em, with scrip winnings applicable to auction items.

Wine and beer will be available while a raffle will include such prizes as a stay at a Hawaiian condo, Festival and Silverwood tickets, golf, restaurant gift certificates, and more, said Loris Michael of SASi.

Non-stop dancing will be the main event of the evening, and DJ Jake Robin will play music from the 1920s through the present day.

Tickets are available at the Sandpoint Senior Center, 820 Main St., or at the door on Saturday. The cost is $20 per adult and $10 per child, including dinner. Entrance without dinner is $10.

SASi serves approximately 25,000 meals annually at Sandpoint Senior Center and through home meal delivery. It also provides respite care for seniors with Alzheimer's disease or other memory issues at its DayBreak Center, Weissman said.

Information: 208-263-6860