By Chris Shott
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Some people just  couldn’t wait for spring. That’s why those who live and work at Brooksby accelerated the spring and summer seasons with a day-long celebration of the warm and sunny weather to come. And they do this every year.

Warm and tropical inside
Brooksby hosted its fourth annual “Tropical Heatwave” with numerous fun-filled activities designed to give participants a sneak peek of the months ahead.

Everyone enjoyed events more attuned to exotic paradises than to late March in New England. “We use ‘Tropical Heatwave’ to celebrate spring,” said Mary Landry, community resources coordinator at Brooksby. “We’ve decorated several areas around campus and we’re doing a lot of fun things today.”

The day began with breakfast smoothies at Renaissance Gardens and continued with bocce and golf-putting in the McIntosh Clubhouse. Morning events also included a “duckgatta” (a race between rubber ducks in a swimming pool), tropical water aerobics, and water volleyball in the aquatics center at the  Towne Center Clubhouse.

Following a tropical-style lunch, the large turnout headed over to the Cider House Pub to participate in hula dancing, karaoke, pieeating, limbo, and best hat contest. Everyone dressed in colorful shirts and blouses, straw hats, leis, and garlands.

In the evening, Brooksby’s on-site restaurants hosted tropical theme social hours and dinners. The Brooksby Village Irregulars performed at the Cider House Pub, followed by a showing of the film Road to Bali, starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour.

14 hours of fun
“This is our fourth time doing this,” Landry said while serving tropical punch. “We always celebrate on the first Friday of spring and everyone has a great time. It’s literally a day-long program—from about 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.”

Landry attributes the program’s success to its versatility: “We hold events at different venues throughout the Brooksby campus to open the festivities to as many people as possible.”