Seniors enjoy Strawberry Festival in Mansfield

MANSFIELD — Juniper Hill Village celebrated its annual Strawberry Festival.

Program Manager Eileen Doughty decorated the common area with strawberry-themed decor and purchased prizes that the residents could raffle. Prizes ranged from strawberry hair products, to strawberry snacks and strawberry bags.

8-year-old Lorenzo Gonzales helped Doughty during the raffle, shouting out the raffle number, and handed the corresponding item to the residents. Gonzales’ mother, Ana Heredia, is a PCA and cares for one of the residents at Juniper Hill Village. Heredia said she brought her son to the Strawberry Festival because he’s out of school and he wanted to help out with the raffle.

“ I think it’s good for him to get involved and to help out,” Heredia said.

A resident of Juniper Hill, Barbara McCarthy, said what she enjoys most about the Strawberry Festival is the fellowship she’s surrounded by.

“I look forward to the festival every year,” McCarthy said. “Eileen is a good program director because she tries to include everybody and their interests; she tries to please all of us.” McCarthy notes this year’s Strawberry Festival is the biggest crowd she’s seen.

Resident Beverly Maggi said she “loves coming to the Strawberry Fest. Strawberries are my favorite fruit, especially this time of year.”

Maggi mentioned her favorite part of the festival is that Doughty purchases fun prizes and makes sure that everyone wins a prize.

“It’s fun. It makes me feel special that she includes all of us,” Maggi said.

Both residents won the first two rounds and were delighted to receive their prizes.

“What’s best about this is that everybody can be a winner and we make this as fun as we can,” Doughty said.