Dressed in their best formal attire, area seniors stepped onto the ballroom floor at the Valentine’s Day Senior Prom to dance to classic love songs like “Puppy Love” by Paul Anka and “My Girl” by The Temptations.
Designed to bring joy, connection and a sense of community, the prom allowed attendees to relive cherished memories while creating new ones.
The free event, hosted by Touching Hearts at Home and presented by The Village at Gainesville, benefited ElderCare of Alachua County, a grant-funded program. ElderCare relies on sponsored events, like the Senior Prom, to provide for older adults in the community.
Christina Ramos, executive director and administrator of Touching Hearts at Home, founded the company and organized this event in honor of her grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s disease.
The event featured several tables with information on various resources regarding senior care services. Ramos emphasized Al’z Place, an adult day care service provided by ElderCare that is safe for seniors with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.
Ramos said events celebrating the holidays hosted by Al’z Place made all the difference to her grandmother, and she wants to bring that same joy and fun to other seniors each year.
“My grandmother, with such a bad diagnosis and such an awful time in her life, Al'z Place gave her so much hope and joy, and they were big on holidays,” she said. “The seniors at Al'z were always able to celebrate the holidays, and they did so by having small dances. In honor of Nana, we do this every year in her memory.”
The prom featured live entertainment by singer Mark Raisch from Ocala, dance performances from local senior groups and interactive activities such as a photo booth, raffles, plenty of food and even the crowning of a prom king and queen.
But beyond the music, dancing and festivities, the event served a deeper purpose — it brought comfort and companionship to seniors who may otherwise find the holidays bittersweet.
Valentine’s Day, in particular, can be a difficult time for those who have lost spouses and close friends. Ramos said events like these provide older adults not only with a chance to dance but also with a vital sense of connection.
She emphasized the importance of these events for seniors and how they make them feel thought of, combatting the isolation many may face.
“One of our main goals with this event is to make sure our seniors in our community feel loved,” Ramos said. “We want them to know they're cared for, that we're advocates for them and that we see them.”
The Valentine’s Day Senior Prom also allows older people to get out, move around and socialize.
Jeff Lee, director of ElderCare of Alachua County, said this event, among others, gives seniors the chance to break away from their daily routines, making it all the more meaningful for them.
“As you grow older, you tend to start losing your social network,” Lee said. “Events like this give people an avenue to both socialize with their fellow seniors as well as relive their high school proms.”
For some couples, this Senior Prom is more than just a trip down memory lane and a chance to dress up. And it’s a chance to celebrate love and shared moments on the dance floor.
Gary and Carol Cook said they attended all of the Senior Proms and were even crowned prom king and queen the first year of the event. Going to the Valentine’s Day prom each year allows them to reminisce on the early stages of their relationship.
“We love to dance, and that’s how we met,” Carol said, “We went [to the prom] last year and the year before, and it’s very enjoyable every time.”
Ramos said she hopes the biggest takeaway for the seniors is that they leave with the reminder that they are valued, loved and cared for.
“We want [the seniors] to leave here with quality of life, with hope, with joy, with love, and just knowing that they have someone [and a place] they can come to,” Ramos said.
“Life gets tough as a senior, so for them to be able to have a safe place to come and enjoy, to be surrounded by other seniors to mix and mingle and really celebrate life.”