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teachers dress down for Hospice, Elderwood residents
Grand Island Dispatch,
March 7, 2008
Eleanor Blanchard, right, a resident of ElderWood Health Care at
Riverwood on Grand Island Boulevard, loves the flowers delivered
to her by Kaegebein Elementary second grader Lauren Chadwick, far
left, and fourth grader Sara Kwarciak. The girls brought the bouquet
to brighten the dining room in the nursing home on Tuesday. The Grand
Island Teachers Association made the arrangements Tuesday from flowers
bought from the Hospice Buffalo flower sale running from March 3
to 8. (photos by Larry Austin) |
The Grand Island Teachers Association’s dress-down money has brightened
the day for two local organizations.
For 15 years, the association has raised money from members for local
charities. According to Debbie Beis, a co-chair of the program along
with Linda Harbison, every month, the teachers support a different charity
with money from their dress-down fund, contributed by teachers so they
may relax their wardrobe on Fridays.
Students Bridget Doyle, center, and Katherine Fonte helped deliver
flowers to residents such as Mildred Rusniak in the Elderwood Health
Care at Riverwood on Tuesday. (photo by Larry Austin) |
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For the month of January, the teachers supported
both Hospice Buffalo by purchasing flowers during its bouquet sale
and then donating the bouquets to the residents at ElderWood Health
Care at Riverwood on Grand Island Boulevard.
“We kept trying to tell people we were supporting
two at once: we were supporting Hospice by buying the bouquets,
and we’re supporting the nursing home when we brought them here,”
Beis said.
The dress-down money has blossomed over time.
“We raised $3,595 this year,” Beis said. “I would
estimate in the 15 years that we’ve been doing it we’ve raised
almost $50,000.”
The residents love the simple pleasure of flowers
for their rooms and dining areas.
“Even the littlest things delight them,” said Anne
McMillan, activity leader at Elderwood. “They are just very easy
to please. It’s nice to see the wonder in their eyes and the sparkle
in their eyes when they see new things around and people doing
nice things for them.”
The bouquet sales were coordinated by Tracy Beatty
in Grand Island High School, Mary Jane Fonte in Veronica Connor
Middle School, Jennifer Kropidlowski in Huth Road Elementary, Kimberly
MacDonald in Sidway Elementary and Kathy Fik in Kaegebein Elementary.
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