News
Princes Court puts on a show for nonagenarians!
Mon, 23 Jul 2018 03:55:00
A 90th birthday is always worth celebrating – but at Mildura’s Princes Court Homes, having four of the milestone birthdays in one month is worth putting on a fete!
Popular Princes Court Homes residents Russell Law, Josephine Kennedy, Gwen Keir and Betty Battle all turn 90 this month, coincidentally, around the same time as the annual Princes Court Homes fete.
“Any of our residents’ birthdays is always a cause for celebration – we always make sure they’re a special time,” said Princes Court Homes CEO Jenny Garonne.
“But it’s probably safe to say having these special birthdays around the fete will make it an extra big month for our new nonagenarians,” she said.
“And so it should be too – they’re quite amazing lives and individuals we’re celebrating.”
The experiences of the four nonagenarians are a snapshot of the extraordinary changes that occur in the space of a lifetime: Russell Law was a decorated World War Two fighter pilot; Josephine Kennedy was born in Poland and spent time in a concentration camp after being captured during the war; Gwen Keir spent her working life as a telephonist at the Mildura telephone exchange; and Betty Battle became a dedicated nurse – with the first baby she ever delivered being a staff member at PCH!
Lifestyle Coordinator Colleen Lewis said the milestone birthdays and the fete were creating a buzz around Princes Court during July.
“Our fete is on July 27 and it’s one of our key fundraisers for the year,” Colleen said.
“The money we raise goes directly to facilities and services that can add to the experiences of our residents, and this year we have our eyes on a particularly important goal, which is raising funds for our own Princes Court bus,” she said.
“We are always having activities out in the community for our residents, but until now we’ve done that by hiring buses.
“We’re hoping fundraising, including through the fete, will get us close this year to buying our own bus, meaning we can offer more activities and be more flexible about the sorts of outings that are possible.”
The Princes Court Homes fete will offer arts and crafts, baked goods and produce for sale on July 27 from 10am to 2pm. Some stall spaces are still available, and anyone interested can contact Colleen on 50221022 or clewis@princescourt.com.au
Pictured (L-R): Gwen Keir, Betty Battle, Russ Law, Josie Kennedy.