This Valentine’s Day, over 300 persons served and staff from across South Florida got together at the Eureka Work Center to celebrate a day filled with friendship and love! The Sunrise Day for Love event was meant to bring everyone together to celebrate. Thanks to the coordination of Area Directors and Directors of Operation in South Florida, participants from several Adult Day Training programs and administrative and executive staff shared in the fun-filled day!
Throughout the morning and into the afternoon, attendees enjoyed festive activities like ring toss, a valentine’s day card-making station, a photo wall, and other curated activities. Before the DJ activated the dance floor, Christian A, a person supported in Central Miami-Dade, played the keyboard and serenaded the crowd with a stunning performance. Christian is a natural performer with remarkable skills, and when asked to select a song for the day’s festivities, he knew it had to be “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” by Luther Vandross.
Christian’s performance set the tone for the next event of the day, a beautiful ceremony celebrating the friendship of two individuals who are engaged to be married! The bride-to-be’s father walked her down the aisle, and a Sunrise employee officiated this emotional ceremony while their friends sat to watch them commit to a lifetime of friendship. The ceremony concluded with a dance between the lovely couple to Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.” After the ceremony, the DJ opened the dance floor, and everyone in attendance was invited to grab a bite to eat. There was a wide selection of cuisine from paella to pizza (donated by The Big Cheese). With so many vendors and options, there was something for everyone! The beautiful weather, old-school jams, and an incredible array of vendors made it a day to remember.
We want to give a special thank you to everyone that helped make this event possible. The passion for putting the Sunrise mission into action for the people served made this an exceptional event. We would be remiss if we did not highlight the architects of the Sunrise Day of Love – Jo Lynne Mendez (Director of Operations at the George Spelios Center), Rodrick Terry (Area Director for several Sunrise operations), and Abi Kuran (Day Program Supervisor at Eureka Work Center). Their weeks of careful planning resulted in a day of love and fun in the sun for all!
We thank everyone that participated in the fun with the Sunrise Community family. We look forward to creating more of these events to celebrate all the people that make Sunrise a community!
Watch the video below to catch some of the highlights from the day.
