Warm Hearth Prom Changes The Routine

The ballroom is covered with teal and silver streamers. The lights are low and the mood is set. The residents are dressed in their finest clothes accompanied by corsages of their choice. They are dancing. The song playing is one of the greatest hits of their time, "Twist and Shout."

Warm Hearth Village is a comprehensive retirement community with a strong focus on those with Alzheimer's and dementia. It is located on Warm Hearth Dr. on the outskirts of Blacksburg. There are many different living options that resident can choose from. They range from independent living to long-term nursing care.

Sigma Kappa Sorority along with the German Club at Virginia Tech recently put on an annual prom for the residents of Warm Hearth Village.

"We work very closely with Warm Hearth and the residents since our philanthropy is to raise money to find a cure for Alzheimer's," said Abbey Race, social chair of Sigma Kappa Sorority.

The prom is usually held in the fall before Thanksgiving. Along with all the other events that Warm Hearth Village holds, the prom is something that the residents can participate in to deviate from their normal routine.

On Tuesday, preparation for the prom began early. The girls from Sigma Kappa Sorority came to Warm Hearth Village at 10 a.m. to start getting the female residents ready for the big dance. The ladies were given manicures and pedicures and their hair and makeup was done.

"I look so pretty," said Shirley Wright, resident for four years, after Whitney Johnson did her hair.

After all of the women who wanted to be pampered had been made up, the next step was decorations. From around 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. both the sisters of Sigma Kappa Sorority and the brothers of the German Club got to work on changing the dining hall into a lavish ballroom. The final product included a large banner saying Warm Hearth Prom 2009 and streamers and balloons all over the place.

"I like putting on a prom for the residents here," said Chris Leonard, a member of the German Club. "It reminds me of my high school prom experience."

After all the decorations were up it was time for the DJ to start playing tracks from past decades. The residents were escorted in at 5:45 p.m. and the prom was officially under way. There was a slow start to the prom. The room was separated with girls on one side and the boys on the other; it was like a middle school dance. Things soon heated up and the residents and volunteers started to dance.

"It is a lot of fun to interact with the residents," said Lauren Crow, a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority and a Warm Hearth Prom attendee for three years. "The dancing and music is so different from us now. It's kind of funny. I think they really enjoy it though and I always have a good time."

The prom ended at 8 p.m. and the volunteers began to take down all the decorations. The residents were escorted back to their rooms with smiles on their faces.

"I think the residents really enjoyed the prom," said Alex Van Nuys, president of Sigma Kappa Sorority. "This year seemed to be even more successful than last year. We had some more residents participate this year which is always good. I can't wait till next year."

This year's prom seemed to be a success. For a moment the residents and volunteers were able to get out of their normal routine and have a little fun.