Seniors from a Cobourg retirement home were feted to a Saturday afternoon of fun they won’t soon forget.
Approximately 40 residents of Rosewood Estates retirement home delighted in horse-and-carriage rides, outdoor games, and a luncheon of hamburgers, hot dogs, farm-fresh corn on the cob and beverages under blue skies and sunshine on Saturday, Sept. 18.
The seniors were guests of Castleton Sports Club members at their expansive sports fields just outside of the village. All activities were completely outdoors, which provided safety for the seniors, while they also enjoyed sitting on patio chairs under the large pavilion that provided shade and comfort from the heat of the day. The barbecue lunch was also served at tables set up under the pavilion.
Jeff Turney, one of the sports club’s executive members, said the day came about after Melissa Davey, the activity co-ordinator at Rosewood Estates, asked her brother and Castleton Sports Club executive member Stacy King about organizing a day trip to the Castleton Sports Fields. The idea was immediately accepted by the club and a grand day for the seniors was planned for Saturday.
Turney said it was a labour of love for the club to provide an open-air setting for the Cobourg seniors who’ve endured being shut in through much of the past 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s very rewarding. We’ve worked hard for this facility and we’re using it today to give back. There are few (of the seniors) who are from the area…This is our gift to them,” said Turney, who added the club footed the bill for the luncheon.
For their part, the residents of Rosewood Estates were delighted to get the invitation from the Castleton Sports Club, said Davey.
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“The (club members) were so happy to invite us out for a barbecue, free of charge, they just wanted to help get the residents out of the building and enjoy a beautiful day. It was them and I saying ‘What can we do for these people?’ because they have been stuck inside for so long and they need to get out. This was a great place to bring them and family members were welcome to come as well,” said Davey. “It was a little bit of a brainstorm that turned into something fantastic.”
The hit of the day was the horse-and-carriage ride, provided by Kevin White, who’s also a member of the Castleton Sports Club. The seniors boarded the carriage dutifully pulled by Percheron draft horse Dixie for a short ride around the spacious and tree-lined sports field. Madeline Moore was one of the lucky ones who rode up front with White.
“I did (enjoy the ride),” said Moore, an eight-year resident at Rosewood Estates, who was smiling after exiting the carriage. “But, I didn’t know if it was going to be jiggy, jiggy because I have a hernia.”
Rosewood Estates resident Kevin Williams was effusive in his comments about spending the day at the Castleton Sports Fields.
It’s fantastic, absolutely fantastic. Very interesting. It’s really good,” said Williams. “We found out about it last week and I thought ‘I better get my name down there because I want to come’.”
Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini and from Cramahe Township Mayor Mandy Martin also paid a visit to the gathering. Another visitor, former Clarington Mayor John Mutton who’s also president and CEO of Municipal Solutions company, donated $5,000 through his company to the non-profit Castleton Sports Club.
Turney said the club also received a surprise $1,500 donation from the Rosewood Estates’ seniors who came out for the fun-filled day.
The donation “took all of us back and really made this a humbling event, we didn’t expect anything from this event at all,” said Turney in an email. “It was a gift to a group of people who desperately needed to get out and to help out Stacy’s sister who works at Rosewood. We all jumped at the chance to help them.”