Approximately 200 senior citizens joined GW students for an evening of dinner, games and a whole lot of dancing at GW’s eighth annual Senior Prom Feb. 28 in the Marvin Center Continental Ballroom. More than 160 GW students partied with senior citizens from local retirement communities including St. Mary’s Court, Emmaus Services for the Aging, We Are Family, Vinson Hall Retirement Community as well as members of Vietnam Veterans of America, for “A Celebration of Mardi Gras” sponsored by GW’s Office of Community Service.
“As an intergenerational celebration of the lives and legacy of senior citizens from all eight wards of the District of Columbia, the annual Senior Prom is one of the most festive and meaningful service initiatives at GW,” says Timothy Kane, director of the Office of Community Service.
“This event is the highlight of their social calendar year,” says Mark Andersen, executive director of We Are Family senior outreach network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving seniors living in several Washington, D.C., neighborhoods. “It is such a fun event, and the seniors feel valued and affirmed. I even get calls a month or two before the event making sure they can come!”
Five seniors from the GW men’s basketball team also participated in the celebration as a kick-off to their own Senior Day on March 3, which will honor their contributions to GW athletics at their final regular season home game as Colonials.
“As a team, we felt it was great opportunity to give back to the community that has supported the athletic department for so many years,” says student Jeff Alston, a guard for the Colonials. “I have grandparents and I understand the difficulties that the elderly have as they progress through life and anything that I can do to bring joy to their lives, I am eager to do.”
All 200 senior citizens received reusable grocery bags as parting gifts, each filled with GW wear, and a number of Mardi Gras items including handmade masks.
Approximately 800 service hours spent preparing and participating in this year’s event will count toward First Lady Michelle Obama’s Service Challenge to the university. To date, the GW community has completed approximately 74,000 community service hours. The university’s commitment to service has been recently recognized by the Corporation for National and Community Service and has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the third year in a row.