By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Walpole Council on Aging (COA) celebrated the South Street Center’s (SSC) fifth birthday on Friday, January 19th. Seniors gathered together to enjoy some light refreshments of coffee and cake, as well as listen to an incredible performance by the Retro Polatin Duo.
The SSC was fully decorated for this fifth birthday celebration, including balloons, festive napkins and centerpieces, and hand clappers set at each seat. Seniors were all smiles as they reminisced with friends and sang along to some of their favorite songs.
Walpole COA Director, Kerri McManama, helped to streamline this event and was seen mingling amongst the seniors, helping assist them in whatever they needed. Towards the beginning of the celebration, she went on to address everyone, “I can’t even believe it, it’s our fifth birthday!
Since opening our doors five years ago, we have made 3,056 new friends, had 5,038 unique participants, welcomed 187,331 total participants, given 18,667 rides to 405 unique riders, outreached to 3,576 unique seniors, and had 130,560 check ins. This is absolutely amazing. You build a building like this and just look at all the incredible things that happen. We have had a lot of fun here but you know my team works really hard and we are just so lucky to have the team that we have. And so many of you are just so gracious and thanking everyone for all the work that we do here for you and it is truly because of the people who work here that this place has been such a success. So thank you so much for everything and being a part of the first five years that we have had here!”
Included within this celebration was honoring those “Super Users” who had come to the SSC more than 200+ times during the 2023 year. Each winner received some chocolates and their very own certificate. This year's honorees were: Rose-Marie Doherty (200 times), Mary Ellen Stanis (207 times), Evelyn Iagatta (207 times), Edwin Winslow (212 times), Edward Norton (217 times), Lorraine J. McCabe (217 times), Mary M. Jones (219 times), Maret Buck (222 times), and John Barker (230 times).
After awards were given, everyone joined in to sing Happy Birthday to the SSC. Delicious pieces of cake were then passed out by SSC volunteers as more music was played by the Retro Polatin Duo.
It can be said with ease that Walpole COA members have made an abundance of incredible memories here at the SSC over the past five years. Here is to many more years to come of laughter and joy!
