Local seniors celebrate friendship & springtime at annual spring fling
GLENOLDEN » After a two-year hiatus from attending the Spring Fling during the pandemic, the members of Senior Community Services’ Schoolhouse Center and their guests were back in the groove Friday, celebrating springtime, friendship and the rebirth of their social events at The Oaks Ballroom.
“Our annual Spring Fling is such a great event to bring our members together and celebrate spring,” commented Schoolhouse Center Director Jessica Hadfield. “It’s wonderful to finally have everyone together again, having fun, dancing and smiling. It’s really important to have social events like this where everyone comes together and enjoys each other’s company.”
Enjoy they did. In a ballroom festively decorated in spring pastel colors, local seniors rocked the dance floor to live music played by Joe Staffieri and Joe Mariani, talked and laughed with friends, enjoyed a sit-down lunch, and won door prizes. The festive springtime soirée was planned and organized by Schoolhouse volunteers Judi Haines and Jeannie Meserole.
“This turned out to be such a great party,” Haines smiled as she looked around the ballroom. “You can always count on Schoolhouse members to have a wonderful time together.”
“The people at Schoolhouse are exceptionally nice and friendly,” added Donna Dagostino of Morton. “You can’t help but have a good time.” Dagostino attended several Christmas parties during the past six years that she has belonged to Schoolhouse, but this was the first time she ever came to the Spring Fling. She attended with her son Raymond Dagostino of Collingdale. Both are members. Donna especially enjoys the Schoolhouse exercise
classes, while her son enjoys the art classes. Betty Subashi of the Milmont Park section of Ridley Township was at the Spring Fling with her boyfriend Ron Ersek of Ridley Township, and both said they were having a “lovely time.” The couple said that they knew each other as children in the 1940s, growing up on the same street in Eddystone, but lost touch for eight decades.
“Eighty-one years later, we were both widowed, and met at Schoolhouse Center in Folsom,” Subashi said, smiling at Ersek. “He invited me to lunch four years ago. We’ve been together—and happy— ever since! No wonder, we love Schoolhouse Center and support it 500%.”
Glenolden resident Mark Ostro was at Friday’s Spring Fling for the very first time. He only joined Schoolhouse Center three months prior. Since joining Schoolhouse, Ostro has participated in Wii Bowling, singalongs, movies, and bingo, but he wanted to see what the Spring Fling event was like for himself, since everyone at the Center seemed to be anticipating it. Recently retired, he thinks that going forward, he’ll join the others and attend the party each year.
“This is a very nice event,” Ostro said. “I’m glad that I came.”