By Mike Cooper

Can you believe it was just one year ago, on St. Patrick’s Day 2015, when we had our first ribbon cutting after opening our doors on February 25? We have had many successes since then! We are excited to have our 1^st Anniversary Party and Business After Hours again on St. Patrick’s Day 2016 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm!

You’re not sure what we have accomplished in the last year? Here are a few highlights of our success:

• Our charter Member, Charlene, started with us the week after we opened. We love having her here; she continues to brighten our days with every visit!
• We hosted our first of two ribbon cuttings on St. Patrick’s Day with the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce.
• Several Members have joined us throughout the year. We are grateful to have each and every one of them with us!
• We hosted a mini Walk for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society in June, and raised over $2,400 to fight cancer. We want to be sure our Members continue to exercise – and being able to do it for an important cause was a great motivator!
• We provided fun activities for our Members including planting a garden (and then enjoying the fruits and vegetables of their labor), dressing up on Talk Like a Pirate Day, and having children come by before Halloween to get treats and play games with our Members.
• We have hosted several Continuing Education (CEU) Workshops after hours for nurses, therapists and social workers. We are happy to provide this amazing venue for the community when they need to come together to gather and learn. Do you need a space to hold your workshop? Give Mike a call at 630-857-3017.
• We hosted our 1^st Annual Fall Craft and Vendor Fair in November. Thank you to all 23 vendors who joined us for a wonderful event. Our Members were even involved in making most of our crafts that were sold that day.
• We hosted a Business After Hours event with co-sponsor Oasis Senior Advisors, for the Naperville Chamber of Commerce in December. We had a fantastic turnout; thank you to all the Chamber and community members who joined us to celebrate the holidays and check our facility.
• We hosted our own ‘Oscar’s Day Awards’ with our Members just before the Academy Awards! Our competition was fierce, but we outstanding performances!

Don’t forget to join us on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17, 2016, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm as we celebrate our 1^st Anniversary and host a Business After Hours. We look forward to seeing what the next year brings!

If you haven’t had a chance to join us at one of these events, just contact us to schedule a quick tour or a FREE 3-hour trial at our facility so you can see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home”.