Hops and hats at the Senior Center

Published 10:20 am Friday, March 29, 2024

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LANETT — Leonard Thrower has been playing the guitar and singing for audiences for 64 years now. On Thursday he brought some Easter season joy to Lanett seniors at the Lanett Senior Center. He had them all laughing and smiling as he played a new tune entitled “Facebook.” There’s a video of him singing it on YouTube.

Thrower loves to sing gospel and has been the song leader at a local church. He sang “The Key to Heaven Once Hung on a Nail” and then led the seniors in singing “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art.” Needless to say, the seniors knew every word to those songs.

When he was young, Thrower spent some time in Korea in the military. He learned some songs in the Korean language and sang one of them for the seniors. They were delighted by it, and gave him some enthusiastic applause.

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“I have sung it for Koreans in the local area,” he said. “They knew the words and appreciated hearing something that reminded them of home.”

The Easter Bunny made a surprise appearance and brought with him enough filled Easter baskets for everyone. Those gifts were provided by the Chattahoochee Fuller Center. CFCP Executive Director Robin Pierre was there to wish everyone a happy Easter and to invite everyone to visit the ReUse Store on Gilmer Avenue. “Feel free to shop or just give us a hug,” she said.

When the Easter Bunny hopped into the room the seniors spontaneously sang “Here Comes Peter Cottontail.” It brought everyone back to the time they were kids who were all excited about getting an Easter basket and going on egg hunts.

The seniors had a lot of fun taking part in an Easter hat contest. It was for both the guys and the gals. To the tune of Irving Berlin’s “In Your East Bonnet,” the participants had something of an Easter parade inside the center. Everyone loved doing it, and all of them looked great in their hats. Two city employees, Patrol Commander Richard Casner and Kelley Walton of the city hall staff, picked the winners. The Easter Bunny added to the fun by doing a drum roll as each winner was announced.

The senior center was closed on Good Friday but reopens on Monday. Meals were delivered to everyone’s home.