We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The Sweet Home census is growing and this month a large contingent of those residents have enjoyed some quality time away from the home by attending the PRCA Bear Paw Roundup Rodeo, the VFW Booth at the Blaine County Fair and a family barbecue at the Sweet Park in Chinook. August got off to a bit of a rough start with another lockdown in place due to Covid-19 Safety Protocols, but the building was cleared from lockdown status on Tuesday, August 9 just prior to the start of the Blaine County Fair.
Sweet Home Administrator Rebecca Shackelford and Director of Nursing Jamie McLeod discussed the current situation and decided that the Residents would be allowed to attend the Bear Paw Roundup PRCA Rodeo both nights as well as attending the fair on Saturday. "It's really good for the residents to get out and do things like going to the rodeo or attending the fair. It brightens their day and makes them happy," said Shackelford.
With arrangements previously made, Sweet Home staff got in touch with organizers of the Bear Paw Roundup to ensure they were still good to go following the lockdown. The Roundup committee didn't hesitate one bit and said how happy they were that the residents would once again be able to attend. Thursday night a group of eight residents made their way from the Sweet Home down the road a short distance to the Blaine County Fair Grandstands to enjoy the performance.
Betty Billmayer and Sweet Home CNA Shay Hauer made sure the residents were in prime position to enjoy the nights performance. Snow cones from the Chinook Lions were enjoyed making the night even better. One resident was thrilled to be able to see her grandson compete and was smiling ear to ear afterward exclaiming, "I got to see my Grandson ride! He can sure Cowboy and he won!". After a couple of hours, the residents returned to the Sweet Home full of joy and a little tired but extremely happy and they sure let everyone in the building know by their laughter and smiles.
Saturday night Activities Manager Michelle Snell along with CNA Molly Kain accompanied ten residents back to the Grandstands for Friday nights performance. "It's so nice to see the residents so happy and having so much fun," said Snell. "They really enjoy it, and the joy stays with them for days, it's really neat." The performance was certainly a highlight for the residents but in addition some were joined by family and others even had their picture taken with a couple of Rodeo Queens. After about two hours lightning was spotted in the distance and it was decided best to head back to the Sweet Home.
Saturday was a great day for a couple of residents as they got to enjoy a burger at the VFW booth. Ray Reid ran the booth for decades and received a wonderful reception by everyone as he made his way in the building. Joining Ray was Helen Stephens who wanted just one thing during the fair "A burger from the VFW". Helen and Ray sure enjoyed their burger with smiles a mile wide. They enjoyed a wonderful slice of Peach Pie and Pumpkin Pie capping off their visit.
On Sunday, August 21, Mark and Betty Billmayer representing the Alliance Church hosted a Barbecue lunch for the Sweet Home residents and their friends and family at the Sweet Park in Chinook. Activity Manager Michelle Snell along with Housekeeping Manager Amanda Filut and Bryan Stiffarm who graciously took time out of their work schedule to assist with the outing, escorted 15 residents in total to the park where they were joined by a significant number of friends and family. The meal was fantastic with great burgers, watermelon, baked beans and ice cream. The turnout was spectacular with 41 people taking part at one point. Following the meal, a short service was held, everyone slowly made their way out of the Girl Scout House and went on their way. The 'Kitchen Band' provided the wonderful music for the service and capped it off with a few old time country classics including one of the residents favorites 'Hey Good Looking' that got some folks up and dancing.
It was a spectacular couple of weeks for the Sweet Home Residents, Staff and their families. Plans are ongoing to ensure that the residents can get out and about and enjoy all the community has to offer. In the works are visits to both the Blaine County Museum and the Wildlife Museum. A year ago, the residents loved going to the Gun Show put on at the Blaine County Fairgrounds by the Chinook Rod and Gun Club and the Car Show held right outside by the Blaine County Cruisers. Other residents spent the day at the Sugar Beet Festival uptown giving everyone a variety of options to attend. The Sweet Home looks forward to making sure the residents can enjoy these gatherings once again this fall.
