Friends of Maple Grove held our annual Spirits Alive event and walking tour on Saturday, Saturday, October 1, 2016.
Greetings!
Our annual event took place on October 1 and it was a pleasant success. Outdoor events are a huge headache when thinking about the weather and for days there was a forecast of heavy rain, then thunderstorms but on the day of event not a single drop of rain. We had a smaller group attend but they had a wonderful time. Bonnie had made, for all the actors and volunteers, over 50 Goodie Bags filled with delicious treats. Mugsy from the Maple Grove Staff was a great help in setting up. Maria Vitozzi and Alex Samaroo and his good friend Steve Christi came and helped out enormously. Jo Anne was wonderful in coming to take many wonderful photos! St. John University was there in full force with over 23 students seeking service credits. They helped at the gate and at the tree tables. Andrew's group along with Helen as Dr. Ella Jennings and other friends formed one of the most handsomest groups to date. They wore the costumes so elegant and other worldly. They knew their scripts and acted very professionally. Rich Masin needs a special salute for portraying Sam Loyd and he did a remarkable performance at the 3:30 Unveiling of the Plaque Ceremony!!! We had our first musical guest Natalia Paruz, the Saw Lady. She wore a beautiful costume and brought her saw. What a wonderful addition to the event. She portrayed the Spirit of Maple Grove and could be found in the Receiving Tomb and told the visitors about its unique history and than played the saw! We had many school children visiting and also had a small senior group coming from the Atria of Kew Gardens and they had a wonderful time. The pictures will show you how wonderful the day was! Jo Anne gets photo credit. The Unveiling was wonderful and now we have officially dedicated another fine monument to Maple Grove! Clean Up went very well with Helen, Maria, Giovanni, Marco, Alex and Steve Christi helping. We introduced many new historical figures at this event and have created such a wonderful foundation for the future. Thank you to everyone who came and assisted during this long day! Carl Ballenas President of the Friends of Maple Grove.
Click here to see the flier for this event
