Rain rolled in partway through the Lucy Corr Care Fair & Birthday Bash on Saturday, Oct. 3, but it didn’t send anyone home. Dozens of attendees — including Lucy Corr residents, families, board members and neighbors — spent the afternoon on campus, where this year’s Care Fair doubled as a celebration of Miss Lucy Corr‘s birthday.
Kids made the rounds of the bounce houses and the Laughing Farm petting zoo while local vendors, crafters and community organizations staffed booths and resource tables. The Slate River Band kept playing from a covered spot as the weather turned, and pizza and hot dogs were served at no cost to attendees.
The Chesterfield County community came out in support, too, including members of the Health Center Commission that governs Lucy Corr. County officials, police officers and fire and EMS crews were on hand, and kids got to meet first responders up close, with an invitation to climb aboard a fire truck. Community organizations, colleges and businesses staffed resource tables throughout the afternoon, connecting residents and families with local services and resources, a core purpose of the Care Fair.
“We really want to engage with the community and invite the community to Lucy Corr,” said Lucy Corr CEO Michael Cunningham. “We’re pleased to open it up to the community and get this great participation, and we appreciate county officials coming out.”
Residents — umbrellas in hand — braved the rain to take part. At the center of it all was a special birthday table stacked with Lucy Corr cupcakes. Miss Lucy, a social worker, spearheaded the effort to build what began as the Chesterfield County nursing home, and Cunningham said her values still set the tone on campus.
“Miss Lucy’s values were compassion, care and kindness, and we do demonstrate those values daily here at Lucy Corr,” he said. “We’re not going to let rain bother us. Everybody’s smiling, happy to be here.”
Michelle Donachy, director of development for the Lucy Corr Foundation, is already looking ahead to next year’s Care Fair. “We want bigger and better; we want more people to come out,” she said. “We want the sunshine to come out, and we’ll do more for seniors next year, too.”
The Lucy Corr Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of Lucy Corr residents and seniors throughout Chester, Chesterfield, Petersburg, Richmond and surrounding areas. Support for the Foundation funds programs including free dental care for under- and uninsured seniors, OMA art therapy and mental health initiatives.
To learn more or make a donation, visit lucycorr.org/about-us/foundation.
