An estimated 150 senior citizens enjoyed food and entertainment provided by district staff and students.
Sweets and songs filled the all purpose room at Marlton Middle School this week when the district held its annual Senior Citizen Dessert Theatre.
An estimated 150 senior citizens from across Evesham Township gathered at the free event to once again enjoy the work of students, staff and parents.
As the seniors made their way to their tables, they were greeted by centerpieces featuring paper flowers made by the DeMasi Middle School decorators.
Then, once the guests were settled, students from the Marlton Middle Renaissance Program acted as waitstaff for the event, bringing the seniors various desserts and drinks to enjoy.
Once again, the district’s staff and parent groups provided all food and beverages with their own funds.
Then, as the guests ate their food and chatted with other seniors, attendees were treated to musical entertainment in form of songs performed by students from DeMasi Elementary School and Middle School, who took to the room’s stage at various points during the event.
In addition to the free food and entertainment, seniors also received gift cards and other giveaways provided by district staff and parent groups.
Students from the district’s Teddy Bear Academy daycare program also decorated small gift bags for seniors when they were ready to leave the performance.
Superintendent John Scavelli Jr. once again welcomed guests to the event and thanked them for choosing to share some of their time with the district and its students.
“We do this every year just to give a little something back and invite you into our schools so you can see some of our students perform for you, and they really enjoy doing that,” Scavelli said to the crowd.
Scavelli also offered special thanks to his secretary, Cindy Esposito, who Scavelli said once again served as one of the main organizers this year to ensure the event’s guests were well fed and entertained and everyone was where they needed to be.
“There’s a lot needed to make one of these events happen, and a lot of people contribute, but there’s always somebody in the middle making it all happen, and that person is Cindy,” Scavelli said.
Esposito said the district brings the event back year after year because it not only benefits the township’s seniors, but the district’s students also have just as much fun as the guests of honor.
“The students learn how to interact with people that are not their age and understand people with different needs,” Esposito said. “The kids actually ask to be in this group and help out. We don’t even have to recruit them. They want to be a part of it.”
Esposito praised the district’s employees for volunteering to help with the event, from those who baked pastries, to the maintenance staff who set up tables, to the district’s transportation staff who arranged their schedules to help transport the students who attended the event.
“Really, every department is involved,” Esposito said.
Perhaps most importantly, Esposito said the event always leaves its senior guests thrilled. They not only enjoy the entertainment, but also relish the chance to talk and interact with the young students.
“They’re happy to be here, and everyone that I talked to thanked me again for the invitation. That makes you want to do it every year because they really do enjoy it,” Esposito said.
