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RiverWoods Couples Treated to a Special Valentine's Day Dinner

February 19 , 2008

Valentine’s Day is a day to spend with that special someone.  In order for the residents of the RiverWoods Nursing Care Center to have this opportunity, Recreation Director, Stacy Drum, decided to host a special Valentine’s Day dinner for them in Marlow Hall so that the residents did not have to go to the trouble of making reservations at a local restaurant.  The room was decorated with brightly colored carnations of red, white, and pink and balloons.  Servers were the recreation staff and a social worker, all dressed in black, white, and red.  Thirteen couples attended the dinner and were greeted by Dawn Martina, a member of the Social Services department, who served as the hostess for the event.  Two of the 13 couples were residents of the Nursing Care Center, and at least one member of the other 11 couples resided at RiverWoods. 

The meal was made to be as romantic, as it would be at a local restaurant on Valentine’s Day.  RiverWoods staff served as waitresses to take their orders, and the meal was served in three courses.  The menu was as follows:  garden fresh mixed green salad served with choice of dressing, or classic romaine Caesar salad with garlic croutons; pan seared salmon served with sweet and sour red cabbage and mashed sweet potatoes, or black diamond steak served with rosemary roasted red skin potatoes and fresh steamed broccoli; dessert choices were homemade crème Brule or German chocolate cake.  The entire event was breathtaking and will be memorable for residents and staff alike.  Each couple was presented with a small bouquet of flowers, including a rose, to take with them at the end of the meal. 

Stacy Drum commented, “You never know how an event is going to over, especially when you’ve never tried it before, but I’m so glad we did this!”