PLEASANTON, Calif. (KRON) – “We feel like celebrating!”
Luck doesn’t even begin to describe how residents of Stoneridge Creek Senior Living Community felt on St. Patrick’s Day Wednesday afternoon.
They gathered for some live music and a few drinks with friends for the first time since the pandemic began.
“We’re so happy that we’re moving up more,” resident Phillip Wire said.
“That’s one of the nice things of this place. The comradery. We’ve missed it. We forget names haha,” said resident Bill Cromwell.
Thanks to strict protocols, the community of nearly 800 recorded just two resident cases of COVID-19 over the last year.
Though they’re all thankful to have kept themselves healthy, being couped up in their rooms made them more than ready to see each other once again.
“You’ll pass somebody on the way to pick up food, but you don’t carry on a big convo you know? So this brings people out,” resident Linda Godbier said.
“I think we’re all very safe interacting with each other now. We’ve been locked up for a year. We have nothing to fear,” said residents Joe Gourley and Dave Krattebol.
“Now that 99% are vaccinated, we’re able to start opening things up for the residents,” life enrichment director Susan Filice said.
She says slowly bringing back things like the bocce ball league, and smaller music events are paramount.
“People are a little more alive gain, a little bit more skip in their step,” Filice said.
While some still chose to keep their distance from the crowd Wednesday, many others couldn’t help but get close.