July 28, 2022

A little rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of our Residents and employees who gathered outside on July 28 for Summerfest, a celebration of the season featuring our first-ever Hilltop Olympics. We’ve all been through so much these past couple of years, so it felt great to get outside and have a little summer fun together. Our Residents and their family members have shown such patience and cooperation throughout the challenges of the pandemic, so we were especially glad to have family back among us for the event. Likewise, our employees have shown plenty of resilience and dedication over the past two years and deserved to have a little fun, too.

The special day was made possible, in part, by our entire food service team from John Marshall Catering, which cooked up a delicious picnic-style lunch. While Residents and guests dined, Team Mt. Assisi — a group of brave and slightly crazy competitors — showed off their collective athletic prowess in four feature events: a Wheelchair Race, Hula Hoop Contest, Wheelchair Obstacle Course, and Water Balloon Toss. The games kicked off with our own Olympic ceremony, led by Diane Ott, grand marshall; Sister Cecilia Jacko, resident ambassador; and Carolyn Klingensmith, employee ambassador. Team Mt. Assisi paraded around the main parking lot — transformed just that morning into an Olympic stadium — to enthusiastic cheers from the crowd, who couldn’t wait to see their favorite athletes in action.

Meet Team Mt. Assisi

They got what they came for, as three heats battled in the Wheelchair race, before the finalists took one more lap in search of gold. The weather significantly shortened the Hula Hoop Contest, and that’s a good thing because Team Mt. Assisi clearly needs more practice! The Wheelchair Obstacle Course challenged players to circle a giant, inflatable hamburger; knock down oversized bowling pins; zig-zag through inflatable palm trees; and try to deduct precious seconds by scoring points in cornhole, all before thundering toward the finish line. The Water Balloon Toss was possibly the most impressive spectacle of the day, featuring a few brave family members and lingering on through several rounds until Tom Steenbeke and Cindy McCullough finally secured the top prize with 19 successful tosses. Halfway through the games, the sky offered up some sprinkles, but our dedicated team played on, much to the delight of the crowd.

Off the field, families who had never met each other got acquainted, and our Residents, energized by the athletic antics before them, served as full-throated cheerleaders for the Olympics. “It was wonderful!” exclaimed Sister Elaine Hromulak, who was invited by her sister, Resident Theresa Cammarata. Not surprisingly, the most ear-piercing cheers seemed to come from the Metro Family, as Resident Helen Metro and her daughters rooted on our competitors like teenage girls at a 1964 Beatles concert. Many agreed that the ceremonial parade and Wheelchair Races were the most memorable highlights. “We must do this again next year!” was the resounding sentiment from so many.

Many thanks are in order — Joe the Juggler entertained everyone and refused his regular fee; the Funk Family, Dave Hunkele and Joanne Osborn contributed great prizes for our employee raffle, as did our friends at Advanced Home Health, Commonwealth Hospice, Monarch Hospice and Heartland Hospice. Our employees also received Mt. Assisi Place T-shirts. courtesy of our administration. Resident, employee, family member, volunteer or vendor — everyone played an integral role in putting together a truly special day for our personal care community. Volunteer photographers Ralph Flaugher and Sister Roselyn Kuzma captured all the action in the photo gallery below. If you have photos or videos to share, please email them to nbuchlmayer@mtassisiplace.com so they can be added to the gallery.

Click on any image below to view it in larger format.