Bob Collins
When nearly 100 elderly people in an assisted-living home need to move to a new facility, you don’t just put them on a bus and drop them off at unfamiliar surroundings. Things are more complicated than that.
In Fergus Falls today, the PioneerCare Center moved 93 of its residents to a new building that’s been under construction for about 18 months.
“We’ve been planning the whole transfer to this new building since the start of construction,” Steve Guttormson, the spokesman for PioneerCare told me this afternoon. “We’ve had staff and volunteers and families on different committees.”
It helped to have the people of Fergus Falls around.
The new building is about four blocks from the old one, so today, Fergus Falls had a parade for the residents of the facility, with classic cars, a color guard from the VFW, and the kids in the band at Fergus Falls High School escorting the seniors to their new home.
Two residents — Mildred Roswold and Pete Beldo — were chosen as grand marshalls.
“It is a wonderful addition to our community and the school felt we need to do our part to help in this grand opening,” Dean Monke, the high school principal, said.
By all accounts, the residents , such as Dorothy Loftis, liked it:
(h/t: Shane Garrahan. Photos via Steve Guttormson. Band photo via Eric Strom)
