By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Recently, it was Movie Matinee Friday at the Walpole Council on Aging (COA). Seniors gathered at the South Street Center (SSC) to view the most recent release of the Barbie movie.
To add to the fun, Walpole COA seniors were encouraged to deck themselves out in all things pink and they certainly did not disappoint! From fun, bright pink sweaters, to matching glittery hats, these seniors certainly dressed to impress. COA staff members additionally got into the spirit as well, wearing pink themselves and decorating the SSC for the Barbie occasion.
Of course it is always best to eat popcorn while watching a movie so COA staff members freshly popped some for seniors to enjoy. This came with its own challenges as the popcorn machine started to smoke up a bit and cause the fire alarm to go off. Firefighters were called on site to assess the situation and eventually gave the all clear.
Walpole COA Director Kerri McManama could not believe the popcorn machine caused all that hassle. “All of a sudden the machine started smoking,” McManama stated, “which set the fire alarms off. That brought the Fire Department here and it was just crazy. Luckily everyone was okay and we are able to laugh about it now but it certainly caused a little stress at the time.”
With the popcorn debacle behind them, seniors settled back into the SSC and took some pictures in the famous ‘Barbie Box’ that COA staff members had set up. Either taking a picture by themselves or joining in with a best friend, these seniors had a blast posing for these photos. Once all the photos had been taken, they filed into the main cafeteria area to start watching the film. The popcorn and movie were free while additional movie box candy and drinks could be purchased for one dollar.
Throughout the movie, seniors could be seen laughing and sometimes even singing along. It can be said with ease that they thoroughly enjoyed this Barbie movie and look forward to the next Movie Matinee!
