Over-90s celebration keeps growing

Mayor Dennis Clough presents a Proclamation to Elsie Cornelius at the recent Birthday Brunch Celebration. Photo by Cindi Lindgren

The Westlake Center for Community Services together with the Westlake Women's Club recognized our city's over-90s residents with a Birthday Brunch Celebration on April 28. These two organizations have partnered to provide this time-honored tradition for well over 15 years now. The biggest change to this event over the years is that the number of celebrants keeps growing. Some of us (including myself) who attended the brunch as special guests, have given up our seats to meet the demand.

In fact, approximately 100 people over the age of 90 attended this year's brunch! The celebration included a handshake, photo-op and proclamation from Mayor Dennis Clough. Among the attendees were individuals from the eight assisted living/senior living facilities in Westlake, as well as 25 or more residents who live independently. There were plenty more Westlake nonagenerians who could not attend the brunch, but will still receive Proclamations. Many reside in the six nursing home facilities within the city. In total, over 325 individual Proclamations were prepared.

The room belted out a reprise of the Happy Birthday song, for Lydia Lohrenzen, who's 95th birthday fell on the actual day of our party!

In addition to the Westlake Women's Club, we would like to thank our other sponsors for helping to make the day special, including: Life Care Centers of Westlake (for sponsoring our pianist, Jack Hogue), First Light Homecare (for the dessert), as well as Heinen's, Petitti's Garden Center and Westlake Giant Eagle.

Lydia Gadd

I am the Director of the Community Services Department for the City of Westlake. I am also a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.

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Volume 8, Issue 9, Posted 9:51 AM, 05.03.2016