Community Gathers for an Early Halloween

A few hours before the Halloween fun began, children and their parents took some time out of their schedule to visit Blossom Grove, a local Alzheimer’s care center. The center houses 35 seniors and specializes in Alzheimer’s disease and related type dementia. At 3 p.m., Blossom Grove opened its doors for families and friends to visit the seniors. The event took place in the center’s cafeteria. The seniors sit in a circle, giving young trick – or – treaters some delightful sweets. Marissa Drinkhouse, the director of this event, noticed the seniors feel more energized after spending some quality time with children, thus, the Halloween celebration was created. The event offered numerous games to play, such as indoor golf, bowling and face painting. After collecting their candies and talking to the elderly, the children gathered around for their faces to be painted. To add to the festivities, one of Blossom Grove’s residents, Ann, celebrated her birthday with the group. Drinkhouse happily pinned a pink “birthday girl” pin on her shirt and adjusted a witch’s hat on Ann’s head. Sherri, a mother and relative of a worker in the center, was glad she could bring her daughter to this community event and felt the event was “a lot of fun.”