Senior Living Community Goes All Out For Dolly Parton’s Birthday
via Country At Its Finest / Youtube
Dolly Parton’s remarkable career in country music, spanning from the 1950s, has left an indelible mark with over 100 million albums sold and over 3,000 songs composed. Beyond her music, she has also found success in Hollywood. Recently, the Waltonwood Main senior living community in Rochester Hills, Michigan, decided to honor the iconic singer with a week-long celebration, including a book drive and a special guest – a pony.
The inspiration for this unique event came from Lindsay Charlefour, the life enrichment director at Waltonwood Main. After reading Dolly’s book, Behind the Seams, Charlefour was inspired to create an immersive experience for residents. She explained:
“I started thinking Waltonwood, Dollywood — a whole week of nothing but celebrating, honoring, learning about her. I ran out of space on the calendar because there was so much we could do.”
To bring the celebration to life, Charlefour went the extra mile, scouring the state of Michigan for Dolly Parton CDs and memorabilia. She set up exhibits throughout the community, allowing residents to learn more about the legendary artist. Charlefour emphasized the importance of hands-on experiences, stating:
“It’s really important to me, that the residents hear, see, touch — that they can interact. And the more they know, how can you not fall in love with Dolly?”
Macho The Pony Joined the Celebration
The celebration extended beyond Dolly’s birthday, featuring a dinner showcasing the singer’s favorite Tennessee foods, a book drive benefiting Dolly’s Imagination Library, and a recreation of Dollywood’s famous dinner show, Stampede. Adding a touch of whimsy, Charlefour welcomed a pony named Macho, who sported a blonde wig in homage to Dolly.
Charlefour expressed her joy at the residents’ enthusiastic participation, stating, “This is exactly why we do what we do.” She concluded by extending birthday wishes to Dolly from Waltonwood and all the residents.
See Dolly Parton’s birthday celebration here.
