Submitted photo Front row: Allen Moorefield, Emma Scott Garden Club member, and Thomas Huffman, Autumn Lakes activity coordinator. Second row: Garden Club members Mary Higgins, Linda Shomo, Summer Kirk-Swanson, Vickie Keller and Renee Benz.

ELKINS — On Friday, Feb. 14, Emma Scott Garden Club’s  (ESGC) Mom and Pop’s Therapy committee enjoyed getting together with residents and staff at Nella’s Autumn Lake facility for a fun Valentines Day party. 

There was much frolicking, laughing, and socializing for residents, staff, and ESGC members in attendance. 

There were 29 residents present. The room was decorated with arches of balloons in pinks, white’s, reds, and blues.

A king and queen sat under a beautiful arch of balloons. Their chairs were festively decorated for Valentines Day. Two tables of gifts were displayed on crisp white tablecloths. Both the King and Queen were honored with a special CROWN.

The committee and residents wore headbands with pink and white hearts and various hats to add to the festivities. 

The residents were able to visualize the balloons and red heart center pieces on their tables.

To add to the festivities, the staff released a net full of colorful balloons from the ceiling to rain down on the king and queen as residents clapped using hand coordination. 

The Nella’s staff served mini smoked wieners, meatballs, Valentine cookies, and a Valentine shaped cake. The ESGC committee passed out bags of chips, corn curls, and heart-shaped lollipops to each resident. The residents used their masseter, muscles for chewing. 

While the residents enjoyed their snacks, they had fun batting balloons back and forth using their shoulders, arms, elbows, muscles for arm extension.  The flexing and extension of their hands and wrist were used to play volleyballons. 

The residents used gripping while using their fingers and thumbs to grip the balloons as they threw them back and forth.

ESGC brought Roses for each resident. There were pinks, reds and corrals. This aided the residents in using their color visualization and smell sensory receptors.

ESGC meets at Nella’s each month and loves to surprise the residents. For Valentines Day, the garden club brought a special gift for a raffle. The raffle was for a lg lap scarf. The residents used their sight and brain recognition for the numbers used in the ticket drawing.

This was not only a wonderful day for the residents of Nella’s, but also for the following ESGC Members:  Renee Benz, Mary Higgins, Vickie Keller, Allen Moorefield, Linda Shomo, and Summer Swanson.

The ESGC Mom and Pop Committee find the monthly meetings with residents at Nella’s Autumn Lake facility a rewarding ongoing project.