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Addington Place leads the way into fall

Addington Place celebrates National Assisted Living Week with a fall festival

AnnaMarie Kruse

Sep. 17, 2023 9:14 am

Julie Butcher helps her daughter Alayna Butcher, 4, roast a marshmallow for a smore at the fall festival. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Julie Butcher helps her daughter Alayna Butcher, 4, roast a marshmallow for a s'more at the fall festival. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

MT. PLEASANT — With bright blue skies and beautiful weather, Addington Place of Mt. Pleasant welcomed the community to their facility to celebrate National Assisted Living Week with a fall festival.

With a theme of “Fall-ow the Yellow Brick Road,” guests to the event were greeted with festive fall decorations and a nod to the Wizard of Oz as they enjoyed an evening filled with s'more’s, music, horse-drawn wagon rides, and pleasant company.

Kent Strabala plays music as residents and guests tap their feet and clap along. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Kent Strabala plays music as residents and guests tap their feet and clap along. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

Generations of families welcomed the opportunity to enjoy the time together outside.

Greg Bolin’s granddaughters often attend Addington Place events while they visit their great grandmother.

“They get to see her a lot and love it,” Bolin said.

Kent Strabala sat on a stool as he played his acoustic guitar or banjo and sang songs which evoked clapping and even dancing outside of Addington Place on a lovely fall evening.

Community Relations Coordinator Cody dances with Joyce Long and Mary Ruschill. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Community Relations Coordinator Cody dances with Joyce Long and Mary Ruschill. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

Staff served wine, beer, tea, and lemonade along with a supper of hot dogs, burgers and sides, but the horse-drawn wagon rides were certainly a highlight of the evening.

According to Community Relations Coordinator Cody Flietner, when he arranged a fall festival later in the year last year, he loved the idea of having the wagon rides, and through the connection of a friend he was able to make it happen.

“So, last year, I asked if they’d be interested in doing it again if we did and of course they were all for it,” he said.

Teresa and Paul Bishop spent most of the evening welcoming guests onto the large wagon pulled by four Suffolks horses and enjoying conversation as they took short rides down the road.

Teresa Bishop (left) and Paul Bishop (right) chat with wagon guests like Emery and Eden Bolin seated on the very front of the wagon. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Teresa Bishop (left) and Paul Bishop (right) chat with wagon guests like Emery and Eden Bolin seated on the very front of the wagon. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)

Paul Bishop introduced the horses by name to his riders as Isabel, Ginger, Jeremiah, and Isaiah and Teresa Bishop gave a little background on their clever name of Psalm 20 Suffolk.

“We are Christians and Psalm 20 verse seven says ‘Some trusted in horses and some trusted in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God,’” Teresa Bishop explained. “We’re blessed to have these horses and we’re blessed to share them with people.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
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