A group of Miltonians are hoping to light up Allendale.
The Long Term Care Home has been going through a COVID-19 outbreak that has lasted for more than a month, with more than a dozen people having now died. The latest numbers can be found here.
Organizer Mustafa Sajid says the residents at Allendale need something nice.
He says the whole thing started when a Milton resident put out a call for help. Sajid says that Laraine’s husband is currently in Allendale and they haven’t been able to see each other since the building went into lockdown. Now, the residents will be alone for the holidays as they try to avoid the worst during the outbreak.
It’s been a group effort. Many people have volunteered their time. As myFM News was there, a roofer on his day off had scaled a 20-foot ladder to help put up Christmas lights along the top of the building. Many local businesses had chipped in what they could, from Troy’s Diner providing free meals, to the Dance Shoppe offering open space to plan, to places like Lowes and Home Depot providing lights and extension cords. Sajid says he’s happy to see the community coming out when called upon, and his goal is that the finished product puts a smile on people’s faces.
The display is now up at the Allendale courtyard. There are displays of snowmen and lights all around the trees and building. A gazebo is decorated with donated bulbs. Sajid asks for residents to keep helping, for businesses to keep donating, and for the residents at Allendale to keep fighting. What started out as someone answering another person’s plea might just turn into a tradition, something Sajid wants to see in a post-COVID world.
A physically distanced parade is planned for the weekend of Saturday, December 19th. Sajid says that if it goes along as planned, it will start in the EC Drury parking lot, move down Ontario Street into the Allendale parking lot, and move across to the other facilities in the area. Sajid says the goal is to provide safe entertainment for the seniors at Allendale. The group is also hoping to provide caroling closer to Christmas Day.
You can follow along with ‘Lighting Up Allendale’ here.
If you’d like to help out in any way, you can email Sajid at Mustafa.Sajid@kw.com.
