If you were not among the crowd of more than 400 people who joined us for Eight Over Eighty, you missed something very special!  Hearing the stories of our honorees, learning from their achievements and wisdom, was a remarkable experience and thoroughly enjoyed by all present.  Those recognized at Eight Over Eighty were:  Dr. Larry Essig; Benjamin Gettler; Murray Guttman; Eric Hattenbach; Dr. Albert Miller; Barbara Rosenberg; Freda and Pearl Schwartz; Sue and Jerry Teller.  Great music was provided by our good friend Greg Lee and our wonderful music therapist, Jude Jones, not only accompanied Greg on some numbers, she also did a stint as a strolling violinist. 

What makes Eight Over Eighty so great is that we all leave the event moved, inspired and motivated by the words of our honorees.  For the last couple of years we have produced a DVD for the evening, including photographs that the recipients share and interviews that are compiled into one production.  Each of the vignettes is different yet each gives us a sense of the individual's history and what is important to them.  The other element they all have in common is a commitment to community service. After all, that's what Eight Over Eighty is all about. The honorees are all people who have made major contributions to our community, who embody the principles of service and leadership, who have been willing to reach outside themselves to benefit others. If we could calculate all of the hours of lifetime community service represented by the honorees each year, the number would be astronomical!  The best we can do is to recognize them for their gifts to our community, celebrate lives still devoted to service to others and heed those lessons in our own lives. 

We've also had a great week with other programs as well.  Our two sessions for Jewish American Heritage Month drew big crowds and lots of lively conversation. We're always happy to open our doors to the community for these kinds of special programs.  It is a "win" for everyone!

A lovely gift came our way this week as well.  We are fortunate to receive gifts from community and family members on a regular basis and this one was a little different.  Pam Barbash stopped by and dropped off almost 70 handmade, quilted bags that are designed to fit on walkers. She used some great fabrics and residents could choose one that they liked. The most hotly desired pattern? The Bengals print!  We have lots of Cincinnati sports fans at Cedar Village!

We continue to move forward with the growth of Cedar Village Hospice.  We are thrilled to be able to offer this new and important community service.  And the rehab expansion and renovation is in full swing-watch for details on the ribbon cutting for our new Rehabilitation Center!

All the best,