Renton seniors celebrated National Pretzel Day at the Renton Senior Activity Center Friday afternoon with a shuffle-board-like game of pretzel bingo and mounds of chocolate, almond, Heath Bar and M&M covered pretzels.

The specially themed lunch hour was part of a new effort to draw seniors to the center’s nutrition program.

“I call them fun things,” said Terri Panajotoff of the special event.

She was the winner of the bingo contest to slide three pretzels across a table into a tic-tac-toe board. The activity had seniors lined up through the dining room. When it became clear that Panajotoff was the winner, everyone cheered.

After bingo, the seniors snacked on pretzels at their tables before lunch. After lunch, they got to pick which kind of chocolate-covered pretzel they wished for dessert from a tray full of treats provided by Merrill Gardens.

“I think it’s great; I like pretzels,” said Irene Marrow.

Marrow comes to the center every Wednesday and Friday to exercise and enjoy the company of other ladies there.

National Pretzel Day is just one of many special activity days the Renton Senior Center is hosting in an effort to engage residents in their nutrition program. Seattle-based Senior Services and the City of Renton have partnered to provide the hot-lunch program to senior citizens age 60 and older.

The purpose is “to keep them active, to keep them socializing and to get them a third of their nutrition requirement,” said Cherilyn Williams, Senior Services site coordinator. “We don’t want them to be isolated.”

Eligible seniors are asked to make a suggested donation of $3 to pay for the meal but those unable to pay are not turned away. Up next for the center, National Chocolate Ice Cream Day on June 7.Lunch is served at the Renton Senior Center at 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information about the program, call 425-254-1128.