Letter: ‘Thank You’ Exchange Club for Senior Center Christmas Party

To the Editor,

Although COVID has changed everything this year, it did not deter the Exchange Club from sponsoring another Senior Center Christmas Party. To be sure, the party was different this year but no less festive and fun.

To keep everyone safe, Lapham Center staff planned a drive-by party with outdoor decorations, live music piped outside, and Santa handing out deluxe goody bags. Later in the day we had a Zoom Christmas Lights in NYC program with tour guides extraordinaire, Susan and Art Zuckerman, who showed the spectacular photos and told the stories behind them. About 80 older residents came to the drive-by celebration, nearly 100 saw the Zoom program, and 20 more got a goody bag delivered to their house by Santa’s elves.

We want to thank the Exchange Club and especially their members, George and Patricia Benington and Chris LeBris who helped decorate, played Santa, gave out the goodie bags, and stayed to say Merry Christmas to everyone who drove by.

Thanks also to First Selectman Kevin Moynihan who was there to greet everyone and to Steve Benko, Steve Dayton and Butch Landon from the Rec Department who brought many of the blow-up decorations and then helped set up and take down.

Jon Old kindly added to the festivities by driving Old Faithful to Lapham to the delight of all attendees and our musical group, Dom & Cuz, kept everyone dancing.

We certainly hope to be wishing our seniors Happy Holidays next year at Waveny House but for celebrating during a pandemic, this worked out very well and we are so grateful to everyone who helped us.

Thank you & Happy Holidays.

Aggie Aspinwall, Director
Lapham Community Center
Senior Center of New Canaan, Inc.