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By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
There were no leprechauns to be found during Westwood’s Council on Aging‘s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. However, there was plenty of green. A sea of shamrock green filled the room to the brim - green sweaters, t-shirts, scarves, hats, pants, and ties. Some had bouncy shamrocks that moved every time their wearers moved. Others had overly large hats, a larger version of the one Lucky the Leprechaun wears. People filled the room, sitting at the tables, many catching up with one another before the official festivities began.
The event began with a brief speech from a representative of North Hill in Needham. North Hill supplied the food for the day (corned beef and cabbage, of course). Senator Michael F. Rush stopped by the party to share his well-wishes - and a quick joke - with the seniors. “What do you get when you cross poison ivy with a Shamrock?” No one in the audience knew. “A rash of good luck!” Everyone in the room laughed. At the end of his spiel, Rush let everyone know what he thought about their outfits: “Y’all look great in green.”
Even the tables were decorated with little white and green flowers sitting in green hat centerpieces.
Seniors had a chance to chat with their selectmen and one of their state senators during the lunch.
The function was as popular as it is every Saint Patrick’s Day, with at least 80 people coming to the party. “There’s always great attendance, great support of the town,” said Mariane Feeney. “Everyone is very conscience, very dedicated. I can’t say enough good stuff.”
Director Lina Arena-DeRosa notes that the annual event is a fantastic time for seniors in the community to socialize. “It’s a great event for seniors to get out of their house and come have fun,” she said.
Each table took turns going up to get food, served by a few of the town’s selectmen, as a singer belted out some popular Irish tunes as he strummed his guitar. The end of each song was met with applause from residents.
There was a brief cleanup in between lunch and the party’s delicious carrot cake dessert. “Don’t tell anyone I gave you this,” said one server, handing a senior who wanted to bring a piece of cake to a friend.
The final part of the party was a raffle in which two people were chosen to go home with coveted Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks gift cards. It may not have been a pot of gold, but it was close enough for the seniors. They had already received their rewards: a great party, a phenomenal lunch, and delicious carrot cake.
