Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge seniors are soaking in the sunshine and raising a glass for their annual Springtime Lunch and Lottery.
The tradition sees residents and locals from the Emu Park community coming together for a decadent three-course meal prepared by Retirement Village Manager Robin Hayes.
“This is our fourth year and the residents just love it – we got some extra help so that everyone could just sit back and enjoy the day,” Robin said.
“Last year we raised and donated $3500 to Yeppoon Hospital and with that money we built a little outside garden area for visitors, so we are looking at another local charity to donate proceeds to this year.”
The annual luncheon is a highlight of the village’s busy social calendar, which regularly brings residents together for food and fun.
“I used to own and run a café so I really enjoy preparing meals for residents whenever I can,” Robin said.
“We do a monthly breakfast, lunch and dinner so that for those who can’t get out to a restaurant, they get to have that experience here.”
With over 70 guests, the luncheon featured a lottery, with prizes donated from local businesses and a few gifts from residents.
“This year we really leant into the colourful theme of spring and decorated the hall with fresh flowers from the gardens,” resident Janice Stewart said.
“My husband Bob has recently started a beehive in our community garden, so the residents each got a little pot of honey to take home as well.
“It’s a really popular event here at the village and it makes us feel good to know that we can go this function and donate a little bit of money from it.
“We were very lucky this year as a lot of the local businesses were very generous to donate the prizes for our raffle and we put them all in boxes so it was a bit of a lottery when you came up to choose your mystery prize.”
The three-course meal included everything from Peking duck pancakes and Ceasar salad to strawberry parfait and apple, pineapple and carrot cake.
