While elite athletes are competing in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, another impressive set of events is taking place thousands of miles away in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.
Residents of the East Village Place retirement community have been competing in their own set of Olympics-inspired feats to celebrate the start of the games, reports local NBC affiliate WWLP-22News.
The events began last week with a torch-lighting ceremony in which residents passed a torch door to door along both floors of the residence building. The ceremony culminated in the "lighting" of the cauldron, which lit up with fire-like tissue paper decorations, Judith Gagnon, community life director at East Village Place, tells TODAY.com.
From there, residents have been competing in a few different games, some of which were inspired by actual Olympic events while others were a little more unique. For instance, residents competed in target shooting by firing Nerf guns at stacks of plastic cups to see how many they could topple over.
Nearly all of the 68 residents in the assisted living community participated in some way, Patti Castelli, the community’s executive director, tells TODAY.com. “It’s not just a few people in the residence — it’s really the whole community that gets behind these games,” Gagnon says.
While there is a competitive spirit in the air, "nobody (is) cutthroat," Gagnon says. "Everybody cheers for everybody."
It’s been especially nice to see those who are a little less outgoing get involved or just pop by to see what's going on. And it's "really touching" to see those who have more physical limitations "raise their arm in the air in victory" after knocking down some cups, she adds.
Winners receive gold, silver or bronze Olympic-style medals for their efforts. All the while, they were cheered on by their fellow residents as well as family, caregivers and staff members, many of whom waved American flags.
Celebrations so far have also included a champagne (and sparkling cider) ball last night, which gave attendees the chance to dress up, enjoy charcuterie and have their picture taken under a decorative arch.
"We had families, residents and staff coming in all dressed up in gowns, suits, jackets, ties," Gagnon says. "People were up on the dance floor... and they didn't really want to leave at the end."
Other competitions included an egg spoon race and an axe-throwing game purchased from Walmart, Gagnon explains. The events will culminate later this week with a wet T-shirt contest, which involves trying to soak T-shirts on a clothesline with water guns.
All the media attention has been a pleasant surprise, Castelli says, because it's a chance to show the world that living in an assisted living community doesn't have to be dull. "It’s a very vibrant lifestyle," Castelli says. "People come here and they make friends... No matter how old you are, you can still have fun."
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