Burnsville Recreation and Learning Center honored seniors with a gala on April 16.
The event honored the seniors, or “Golden Sweethearts:” Rosa Brewer, 87, Lula Little, 89, Annie Tonsend, 91 and Andrew Smith, 77.
Carol Smith, the lead volunteer, said the event was a success thanks to community support and that the county has changed “tremendously” through the center.
“Your continued support has made this organization and building into a place of great blessings for many,” she said in a press release. “We continue to break through barriers as the lives of people are being changed. Your generous outreach has made this possible along with the help of BRLC’s great volunteers’ support.”
Smith said that the seniors were selected by age and were the oldest to attend the gala.
Each Golden Sweetheart was escorted to their seat by a child before being presented with chocolate roses. The children then crowned the Golden Sweetheart women with golden tiaras while Andrew Smith was given a golden hat to wear. All four were given a string of golden beads and a golden star to wear.
“The golden star represented the brightness of their powerful lives and the treasures that they each still possess within,” Carol Smith said.
After each had been seated and crowned, Marcella Broadway, the program MC, spoke. Several couples then performed the carnation dance. D.J. Steven Flake played music from the 40’s through 60’s.
Casey Eller presented a musical rendition for the crowd. Eller is the grandson of the Rev. Bobby Eller and his wife, of Marshville.
The event also included food, Bingo, a jelly beans contest, a twisting Contest, a line dance to “Loco-Motion” and more. All that attended were given Golden Sweetheart hats and chocolate candy to take home.
The decorations consisted of purple and white with a hint of gold and red. The decoration arrangement was done by Mary Clark of Wadesboro. The food menu consisted of a variety of meats, fruit and vegetable trays, sandwiches, chips, potato salad and tea.
All Golden Sweethearts sponsors’ names were placed on a golden heart, which was put on the inside of the center’s bulletin board as well as the outside bulletin board, where they remained through May.
The event was hosted and coordinated by center Golden Sweetheart committee members Harvey and Marcella Broadway, Bobby Eller and Carolyn Eller, Louis and Mary Burns, Gwen Lisenby, David Cash, Mary Gaddy, Ann Hancock, Doris Carpenter and Marshall Caple.