BINGO-A-THON – A HUGE SUCCESS!!!!!

We would like to thank everyone who made the 4^th Annual “Bingo-A-Thon” event on April 21^st such a big success.  Almost 100 volunteers attended again this year.  All over town, nursing home residents are wearing their “winner” medals, leis, and showing off the many prizes they won (the clock radios were the biggest hit).  We feel like, once again, the event achieved its goal of giving the nursing home residents one afternoon to feel really special, and to know they are not forgotten.

 

Steve and Allison would like to send out our biggest thank you to all the coordinators, who worked so hard setting up at each nursing home and making sure everything went smoothly (and some of them bought prizes, decorations, and made side dishes for the wrap-up party too).  They are:

 

Gainesville Health Care Center:  Patricia Allshouse, Sarah Bailin

North Florida Rehab:  George Hamilton, Joe and Anne Schentrup

Parklands Nursing and Rehab:  Agnes Bierbaum, Leanne Mohler, Dianne Walsh

Park Meadows:  Vi Asmuth, Irene Doyle

University Place:  Ruth Hazen, Jean Lansford, Maria Paz

 

One final BIG thank you to JOE’S PLACE restaurant (on the southwest corner of NW 39^th Ave and NW 51^st St) for donating all the sandwiches for the wrap-up party.  This is their second year doing that and we are very grateful, so if you’re looking for a good place to go out to lunch/dinner, check them out!

 

UPCOMING GROUP EVENTS

Tuesday, May 1^st, 9AM - Noon – S.P.I.C.E. Senior Expo – The Special Projects Interagency Council for the Elderly will be having its annual “Senior Expo” event at Trinity United Methodist Church and Steve and Allison will have a booth set up to promote our program to the many elder members of our community who will be in attendance.  Maybe we’ll even get some new volunteers.  Stop by to say hello if you’d like!

Wendesday, May 2^nd 7 - 8PM – Singing Night – Please welcome a new group of volunteers from a new church (with only about 10 members) that will be having their first event, a singing night at North Florida Rehab and Specialty Care.  They will be singing old church hymns.   We thank them for their interest and we hope to see them all at the nursing home many more times in the future!

 

Monday, May 14^th, 2:30 – 4PM -- Casino Time! – A monthly event -- At 2:30 there will be a bingo game.  Once we’re finished with Bingo, we move on to the horse racing game, and blackjack or other card games.  The residents will be playing for “Bingo Bucks” and prizes.

 

Thursday, May 24^th, 10AM – 2PM -- BUS TRIP –  We are going to try to have another bus trip from Parklands Nursing and Rehab depending on whether enough volunteers and staff will be available that day.  Our planned destination is The Museum of Natural History.  Reply to this email if you’d like to go or would like more information.  If you can only stay for a couple hours you can meet us at the Museum.  Lunch will be provided for all volunteers. 

 

Thursday, May 31st, 3-4PM -- Birthday celebration -- Help us wish a happy birthday to all residents of Parklands Nursing and Rehab with birthdays in May. Meet us in the dining room where we'll have singing and cake. Volunteers are needed to help gather the residents together, serve the cake, sing, clean up, etc.  Do you play an instrument or have some other talent (clowns, mimes, juggling, spin a basketball on your nose, etc)?  We are always looking for new entertainment for the party – let us know!

 

 

 

MORE INFORMATION

Remember, be sure to check above to find out the nursing home at which an event will be held.  Directions to all the nursing homes can be found at:

http://www.acrosstheages.org/directions.asp

All events are open to everyone (children are welcome at most events, please inquire). If you've never been to a nursing home before, feel free to reply to this email and let the coordinators (Steve and Allison Blay) know what events you'll be attending, so they will be looking for you. You can also call them at 381-1117.