Residents, staff enjoy outdoor event
CRANBERRY TWP —The residents and staff of Sherwood Oaks got out into the sun and out of their everyday roles Wednesday during International Youth Day.
Organized by the senior community's Focus on the World Committee, it was a celebration of food and games staged to coincide with the United Nations' International Youth Day taking place Sunday. It brought nearly 100 residents and staff members together at the facility's Summer House at 100 Norman Drive.
Olive Tiller, a 22-year resident of Sherwood Oaks who helped plan the event, said the event was an appreciation of the many young staff members who serve Sherwood Oaks' 400 residents.
The event was so popular last year, she said, the residents decided to do it again.
Tiller said “It's outside, it's games, it's an intergenerational thing. I think both generations, they really do enjoy the games. The residents got here long before the staff.”
Jesse Komara, the service and catering manager who oversees a 60-member staff of mostly high school and college students, said many of the servers develop relationships with the residents.
“This is a chance to not be serving them and actually be out here and having fun with them,” said Komara.
He said the games include badminton, bocce ball, shuffleboard, horseshoes and washers.
Washers, Komara explained, is just that, washers thrown into a box with a cup in the center.
“It's one of the games that they've had here for years,” Komara said.
Elizabeth McPeak, a Seneca Valley High School graduate who worked as a housekeeper this summer before she returns next week to Geneva College to start her junior year, said, “I think it's nice that the residents put it on for us to get to know us better and they are really fun to talk to.”Resident Safwat Habashi said, “It's a good chance for residents to show their appreciation for the young generation that serves us and a good opportunity to bridge the generation gap.”Tiller agreed.“We have so many great young people in the dining room, the fitness center. They serve us in a whole variety of ways,” she said.Mark Bondi, president of Sherwood Oaks, said, “Youth Day last year, I think it was a little smaller event, but it's grown, which is good.”“I really think the success is due to the residents' involvement and a lot of planning and thinking,” Bondi said.“We have a lot of very thoughtful residents who have done a lot of organizing in the past,” Bondi added.Many of the games were wheelchair-friendly, and residents that did not participate in the games took part by keeping score or acting as a cheering section for the competitors.“I'm playing bocce ball and I'm probably going to attempt that shuffleboard or whatever it is called,” said McPeak.“I'm not playing games this time. I have a little bit of a problem with my back and I don't want to strain it unnecessarily, but I'm here to cheer them on,” said Habashi.
