Cherry Hill Manor’s Family Fun Day a ‘show of love’

COLORFUL LOOK: Loraine DiLorenzo, the assistant activities director at Cherry Hill Manor, gets ready to apply more paint to Lilly Gerber’s face during last Saturday’s event in Johnston.

Sun Rise photos by Pete Fontaine

M&M: Mariah LeFort, 3, and her brother Michael, 4, were among the many children and adults who tried their luck at miniature golf at Cherry Hill Manor’s Family Fun Day.

SAYING THANKS: Cherry Hill Manor held last Saturday’s Family Fun Day to thank staffers and their families for their great work, and there were a host of prizes for the day’s raffle. Executive director Katie Gerber, left, is joined by her son, Michael, and Leanne Skudzien, director of admissions, behind the raffle display.

MAKING A SPLASH: Amie Souza, director of social services at Cherry Hill Manor, sits atop the dunk tank.

Posted Thursday, August 21, 2014 2:21 pm

Pete Fontaine

Whether it’s an event for residents, the super staff and even their families, Cherry Hill Manor always finds a way to make it special.

Such was the case Saturday, as Cherry Hill Manor held the first-ever Family Fun Day under a sparkling sun that created what director of marketing Lisa Mallozzi called a chance to “get everybody together for a feel-good event.”

But this was much more than a Family Fun Day.

It was, as someone suggested amid the lively music that disc jockey Eddie the Fixer sent across Cherry Hill’s backyard and parking lot parking through two large speakers, “a show of love” from the award-winning nursing and rehabilitation’s management, beginning with executive director Katie Gerber.

Many staffers, for example, volunteered for such unique details as face painting and sitting atop a dunk tank, while their spouses performed such important chores as cooking hot dogs on the grill.

Take Mike Mallozzi, Lisa’s husband, who spent much of his time making sure people enjoyed their hot dogs just the way they liked them cooked.

Even Amie Sousa, Cherry Hill’s director of social services, turned hero for some of the event as she volunteered to sit in a collapsible chair atop a dunk tank and get dumped into the water as soon as some of the many children tripped the lever.

In short, to say that Cherry Hill’s management went above and beyond to create a unique event would be an understatement.

The menu included everything from salads to soda and more as well as a pig roast done by Allen Brizio, who is a partner in Exeter-based Al and Sam’s Pig Roast and Custom Barbecue.

The Family Fun Day accomplished what Gerber, Mallozzi and the activities staff – headed by director Tracey Cordeiro – wanted it to be, as far as the children were concerned.

“Wow, this is special,” enthused a Johnston woman whose children Michael, 4, and Mariah, 3, played their way around a miniature golf course. “There’s all kinds of stuff for the kids.”

Mark Wilson, a Westerly resident who owns and operates The Carnival Party LLC – which deals primarily with a traveling miniature golf course – had a layout with obstacles and flags and even supplied scores cards, bells and putters for his impressive game.

“We bring the party to the people,” Wilson offered while joining Scott Creighton, 4, of Cranston at a mini-castle. “People really enjoy the mini-golf course.”

Candy Land, a multi-colored bounce-house setup, was as popular Saturday as the face painting that Cherry Hill assistant activities director Loraine DiLorenzo was doing for youngsters like Lily Gerber, the 11-year-old daughter of Katie Gerber.

Cherry Hill’s residents who took part in the event had fun, especially as they watched children of staffers scoot in and around Candy Land, the miniature golf course and a large table that held a large variety of gift baskets for the day’s raffle.

“This was basically to show our appreciation for our employees and their families,” Mallozzi said. “This was our first time doing this, but now we plan on doing it every year. Every one of the 75 people that were here had a great time.”