By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
The Westwood Council on Aging hosted its annual holiday party last Wednesday, December 14,
at the Norfolk Golf Club.
Dressed in their festive holiday attire, seniors gathered amongst their friends, local police
officers, town representatives, and dignitaries, like State Representative Paul McMurtry.
The event sold out in fifteen minutes, with many more seniors placed on the waiting list, and it
was easy to see why. The dining room was ornamented with Christmas trees, wreaths, garland
and holiday themed decor on the day, and the angelic sounds of a live harpist set the mood for
a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon. Seniors in attendance enjoyed a lovely buffet-style lunch,
photos with Santa, and a raffle sponsored by COA supporters.
The event was coordinated by COA Director Lina Arena-DeRosa, with the help of COA staffers
Trish Tucke and Lorraine Cavanaugh. Past President Paul Sebet of the Norfolk Golf Club
secured the space, beginning in 2018, for the annual event.
COA staff should be commended for creating such an extravagant and jovial atmosphere in
which the seniors were able to celebrate.
Prior to lunch being served, Arena-DeRosa spoke to the seniors, thanking everyone for coming
and wishing everyone a happy holiday season before sending them off to enjoy steak tips,
ravioli, and other decadent provisions.
After the seniors enjoyed the buffet and some casual socializing, Arena-DeRosa again took the
microphone to begin drawing for the raffle. Twelve holiday gift baskets filled with groceries,
scratch tickets, cash, gift cards, and other goodies had been donated by local businesses and
COA supporters. All of the baskets held over a $250 value.
“Our goal was to raise $4,000 and we reached $4,600,” Arena-DeRosa reported, with one
hundred percent of the proceeds going to supporting the elders in the community.
The room buzzed with merriment and excitement as the raffle winners were called, with friends
clapping and cheering for one another when names were announced.
Between the photos with Santa Claus, who came to visit the seniors from the North Pole, the
buffet-styled feast put together by Marvin and his staff members at Norfolk Golf Club, and the
enthusiasm sparked by the raffle, the smiling faces of Westwood’s seniors shined brighter than
the Christmas trees in the dining hall.
