Senior's wish to go to circus granted
Special to The GazetteSterling House resident Frances Hambright is shown at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus in Charlotte on Feb. 2. Hambright, 79, had never been to a circus before.
By Sarah Thompson
From: gastongazette.com
February 25, 2012
Frances Hambright was eating lunch at the Sterling House of Shelby when a woman dressed as a clown danced in, delivering popcorn, balloons and a large ticket for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus reading “Admit One.”
Just a few weeks later, Hambright’s unique wish to go to the circus came true.
“It was everything I thought a circus would be like,” she said.
Hambright, her two daughters and Heidi R. Vassey, life enrichment coordinator at Sterling House, received VIP treatment to see the bottom floor and backstage. They met the circus performers and tried on the outfits used in the show.
Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime program is offered to residents of Brookdale Senior Living communities, including Shelby’s Sterling House.
“We try to make a wish for each of our residents,” said Vassey.
Making a wish
Hambright told of how her friend, Shirley, had encouraged her to make a wish after her own had been fulfilled a year ago. Initially, Hambright couldn’t think of anything she wanted, but an idea struck her.
“I’ve never been to the circus and I’m 79 years old,” she recalls saying to herself.A year later, Hambright was surprised in the lunchroom at the Sterling House with the ticket to the Ringling Bros. circus.
On Feb. 2, she traveled to Charlotte with members of her family and Vassey from the Sterling House.
Despite the dazzling acrobatics and the exotic animals, the show itself did not stand out to Hambright as much as another part of her trip did.
“One of the most impressive things was the way they treated me,” said Hambright. “People there at the circus met us at the door and showed us to our seats. It was wonderful.”
The group watched the Ringling Bros. show from their “perfect” position in the middle of the sixth row, in close proximity to elephants and tigers.
“We could see girls up in the air with ropes, and one young boy who was cutting scary flips on the outside of a barrel,” Hambright said.
Laughing, she related how she approached him after and said, “I told you to get down from there!”
Hambright was very thankful for the experience, and especially for the opportunity to spend time with her two daughters.
When asked if she would like to go again, Hambright responded with, “Of course, any time I get a chance! But that first time was special.”
She continued, “Don’t wait until you get as old as I am to go. Don’t wait until you have a walker. Take your children to the circus.”
‘Older people have dreams, too’
Sterling House strives to fulfill every one of its residents’ wishes within its own means and budget, and other requests are forwarded to Bloom’s foundation.
Previously, residents have met Earl Scruggs and the members of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Another made Krispy Kreme doughnuts. A couple adventurous residents even drove a racecar and flew an airplane.
In this case, Jane Ballard, sales and marketing manager at Sterling House, contacted the Time Warner Cable Arena and explained the circumstance to the staff.
“They jumped right on it,” she said.
Both the participants in the program and those who make it a reality are enriched when the wishes come true, said Sterling House staff.
The wishes that Sterling House makes come true may be among the residents’ last, and “it’s something we want to do for all of them,” Vassey said.
“Older people have dreams, too,” said Ballard.Read more: http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/circus-68007-dressed-ticket.html#ixzz1nVEuaoW5
Frances Hambright was eating lunch at the Sterling House of Shelby when a woman dressed as a clown danced in, delivering popcorn, balloons and a large ticket for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus reading “Admit One.”
Just a few weeks later, Hambright’s unique wish to go to the circus came true.
“It was everything I thought a circus would be like,” she said.
Hambright, her two daughters and Heidi R. Vassey, life enrichment coordinator at Sterling House, received VIP treatment to see the bottom floor and backstage. They met the circus performers and tried on the outfits used in the show.
Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime program is offered to residents of Brookdale Senior Living communities, including Shelby’s Sterling House.
“We try to make a wish for each of our residents,” said Vassey.
Making a wish
Hambright told of how her friend, Shirley, had encouraged her to make a wish after her own had been fulfilled a year ago. Initially, Hambright couldn’t think of anything she wanted, but an idea struck her.
“I’ve never been to the circus and I’m 79 years old,” she recalls saying to herself.A year later, Hambright was surprised in the lunchroom at the Sterling House with the ticket to the Ringling Bros. circus.
On Feb. 2, she traveled to Charlotte with members of her family and Vassey from the Sterling House.
Despite the dazzling acrobatics and the exotic animals, the show itself did not stand out to Hambright as much as another part of her trip did.
“One of the most impressive things was the way they treated me,” said Hambright. “People there at the circus met us at the door and showed us to our seats. It was wonderful.”
The group watched the Ringling Bros. show from their “perfect” position in the middle of the sixth row, in close proximity to elephants and tigers.
“We could see girls up in the air with ropes, and one young boy who was cutting scary flips on the outside of a barrel,” Hambright said.
Laughing, she related how she approached him after and said, “I told you to get down from there!”
Hambright was very thankful for the experience, and especially for the opportunity to spend time with her two daughters.
When asked if she would like to go again, Hambright responded with, “Of course, any time I get a chance! But that first time was special.”
She continued, “Don’t wait until you get as old as I am to go. Don’t wait until you have a walker. Take your children to the circus.”
‘Older people have dreams, too’
Sterling House strives to fulfill every one of its residents’ wishes within its own means and budget, and other requests are forwarded to Bloom’s foundation.
Previously, residents have met Earl Scruggs and the members of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Another made Krispy Kreme doughnuts. A couple adventurous residents even drove a racecar and flew an airplane.
In this case, Jane Ballard, sales and marketing manager at Sterling House, contacted the Time Warner Cable Arena and explained the circumstance to the staff.
“They jumped right on it,” she said.
Both the participants in the program and those who make it a reality are enriched when the wishes come true, said Sterling House staff.
The wishes that Sterling House makes come true may be among the residents’ last, and “it’s something we want to do for all of them,” Vassey said.
“Older people have dreams, too,” said Ballard.Read more: http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/circus-68007-dressed-ticket.html#ixzz1nVEuaoW5
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