We may have started a new Cedar Village tradition this week!  We had our very first Murder Mystery dinner and it was great fun!  We have a new bank on site at Cedar Village, PNC is opening an office here, and they wanted to sponsor a special event for our residents.  We'd be wanting to do a murder mystery evening so it worked out perfectly.  We bought a script that we thought the residents would like, called "Death of a Volunteer" and set in 1944.  Eight members of our management staff volunteered as actors and Sally Korkin and Gail Davis helped coordinate the production.  Greg Lee, one of our favorite local talents, was on hand to be the MC and provide both musical cues and background music.
 
When residents entered the Wilbur and Mary Jean Cohen Religious and Cultural Center, they were served cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and the "actors," in costume and in character, greeted them and dropped a few clues. After cocktails, the first two scenes were played out on the stage.  Then salad was served.  Scene three was followed by the main course and a chance for folks to work at their tables and figure out "who dunnit!"  There was a lot of laughter and a lot of conversation.  After dinner, Greg polled the group for their guesses and then the "big reveal" scene was played out.  We finished with a sumptuous dessert reception.
 
Our friends from PNC sat at various tables with residents and participated actively in the "solution" conversations and some of our management staff were scattered at other tables to take part and play along.  Everyone was dressed up.  In fact, we had a lot of volunteers in the afternoon who helped with a pre-event "beauty shop" for the residents and we had folks doing hair, helping with makeup and even putting on nail polish.  It was all great fun.  We've already heard that we should do this once a month!  Doubt that it will be quite that often, but we sure will plan another similar event.
 
The other event that was really a highlight of this week was one of my personal favorites, a concert by the Cedar Village Bell Choir.  Our bell choir is comprised of residents, primarily from our Health Care Center, who rehearse for months and play the most beautiful music.  They are led by our music therapist, the incomparable Jude Jones, and listening to them play is brings both your ears pleasure and your heart joy.  If you ever have the chance to hear them, take it!
 
We are gearing up for our new CedarFit program, helping bring simple exercise and wellness to seniors in their homes and apartments.  It is a super program and is going to be great fun.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Marcia Westcott at mwestcott@cedarvillage.org.  Training will be in early July, requires no special abilities or skills-just interest and enthusiasm!  Please plan to join us-