Wayland Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Gives Back to the Community with Block Party

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KEYSVILLE – Wayland Nursing and Rehabilitation Center held its second annual Block Party on Saturday, September 24 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Last year, the event was such a huge success and a wonderful way for the facility to give back to the community, Cristy Balkus, Wayland Administrator shared very enthusiastically that it just made sense to host the event again. As event patrons begin to fill the parking lot, the sun shone bright in the beautiful blue sky and a light breeze blew in the air. There were lots of free activities for the children to take part in and many festivities for the adults to participate in as well.

Many hospital staff assisted with preparing and selling food and beverages. Some of the Wayland residents were very busy not only greeting all the guests of the facility but also selling raffle tickets and helping out with games and other activities. Some of the games/activities that were more popular among the children included corn hole, ring toss, face painting, jumping in the bounce house and the cake walk. The cakes given away in the cake walk were all homemade and each of the baked goods looked like they belonged in food magazines. Cake walk participants Dominic Craig and Kaydee Roberts walked away with some divine baked goods. The adult crowd seemed to be drawn to the incredible auto show that went on all day. There were antique cars, sport bikes, a race car and so much more. Trophies were to be awarded later in the day for the best of the best. Raffles went on throughout the day with over 20 different opportunities to win a great prize. A few of the businesses that donated items to be raffled off included Food Lion, Pino’s, Cruise-In Café, Pumpkin Heads and Keysville Express. Raffle tickets cost just $1.00 a piece or a patron could purchase 6 tickets for $5.00. Jennifer Mills from South Boston provided a great assortment of music throughout the day. She appeared to enjoy playing the guitar and singing for the party crowd.   

There were countless vendors at the event including Latoya Stith from Victoria, with Tupperware; Tammy Tillotson of Chase City, Va. had racks of LulaRoe clothing products that she was eager to sell. Hazel Smith had Avon for sale. Other vendors that were onsite included: Wendy Powell – Initials, Inc., Lisa Cheek – Thirty-One and Elenor Hopkins, Paula Allgood and Tammy Bailey – Thrive, Inc.

Ms. Smith also purchases 50-60 stuffed animals and donates them to the Southside Christmas Parents. The money that she uses to purchase the stuffed animals comes from a raffle she conducts each year with the winner receiving a gift basket full of an assortment of Avon items. Avon makes a variety of great products and always has a sale going.

Wayland Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has the capacity to house 90 residents. Although the Administration, staff and residents are all busy, they made time to contribute back to the community. For the second year in a row, Wayland Nursing and Rehabilitaiton Center will give all the profits earned from the block party to the Keysville Fire Department and Charlotte County Rescue Squad.

Photos & story by Shelly Sheets for the Southside Messenger.