The weather may have been uncooperative last Wednesday, but 350 seniors from St. Paul and surrounding area braved the storm to gather together at the Recreation Centre for the annual Christmas Seniors’ Gala.
This year is the fourth year for the hugely popular gala filled with food, entertainment and draws for gifts. “It started four years ago when we got a government grant for the New Horizons For Seniors project,” said Tammy Elkow, who is the County of St. Paul FCSS director and who has organized the event for the past four years.
Since the government felt St. Paul was a good community to work with, the project has been “very successful”, explained Elkow. “We’ve achieved a lot - our seniors are very close and the communities are getting closer.”
For this year, Shirley’s Catering provided the necessary food and desserts, and there were 12 lively country-variety performances for the day from young and old talent, performing skits, plays and songs.
The gala was supported by both the Town and County of St. Paul FCSS programs and was held at no cost to the guests. “We owe it to the seniors since they built this program … it’s our way of saying thank you and to pay them back,” said Elkow.
“I thought it was fabulous,” said Paulette Levasseur, one of the 350 seniors at the event, adding, “I think it’s wonderful that St. Paul recognized the seniors in the area.”
Levasseur was at the event together with her husband Louie, who was one of the many performers for the day.
Tom Melnyk, another senior who attended the gala, commented it was a popular event even with the snow storm that hit the area during the day, evident in the number of people that turned out. He went on to say, “(The event) was just awesome, and it was most enjoyable for the seniors, in appreciation for what they have done, past and present.
“On behalf of the seniors, I want to express our heart-felt thanks for their thoughtfulness and for a job well done,” said Melnyk of the organizers in a later phone interview.
“The seniors love this event … it’s important to them,” said Elkow, adding, “For a lot of them, this is their only Christmas gathering of the year.”
