4th Annual Harvest Ball Truly An Extravaganza

Verbena Emanuel, left, and Libby Young, right, both NCC Manor Senior residents, arrive in style at The Chandelier in Belleville, where the Harvest Ball Extravaganza was held.
Verbena Emanuel, left, and Libby Young, right, both NCC Manor Senior residents, arrive in style at The Chandelier in Belleville, where the Harvest Ball Extravaganza was held.

They arrived in style and partied until the last song.

New Community seniors recently celebrated the 4th Annual Harvest Ball Extravaganza, and they proved that dancing and getting dolled up isn’t just for the young—but also for the young at heart.

 Hosted by NCC Health and Social Services, the Harvest Ball was a lavish occasion filled with delicious food and drink, live entertainment, prize giveaways and lots of dancing for about 120 people in attendance. The affair took place at The Chandelier, an elegant banquet venue in Belleville, where seniors arrived by charter bus for an afternoon of merriment.

Sharon Pleasant-Jones, NCC Director of Health and Social Services, said that whisking the seniors away for a fancy afternoon affair makes the Harvest Ball a truly memorable experience.

“It makes it really special,” Pleasant-Jones said. “It’s not just coming downstairs in their building,” she added. Pleasant-Jones credited Social Services staff Tahisha Chambers, Angeli Martinez and Jasminee Sawh-Ramroop for their hard work on the event committee to coordinate transportation, prize donations and sponsorships, among other logistics.

 And clearly the staff’s months of planning paid off, according to Libby Young, who was dressed in a black satin two-piece evening gown. She said she enjoyed mingling with seniors from around the NCC network and described the Harvest Ball as “very beautiful.”

 “I love it. The music, the dancing…and the food, too,” added senior Verbena Emanuel.

 With an opening prayer from NCC Director of Mission Frances Teabout, the Harvest Ball flowed seamlessly to a performance of the iconic song, “I’m Every Woman,” sung with gusto by Julie Epps. Similarly, a rendition of the song “Dr. Love” by Martinez and Assistant Care Coordinators Giselle Oviedo and Valerie White got the crowd on its feet and dancing.

Bathed in autumn colors of orange, red and yellow, the venue boasted fall-themed decor with orange pillar candles surrounded by decorative branches as the centerpiece of each table. The festivities concluded with more than 60 prize giveaways, which included items like decorative platters, towels and kitchen appliances—all gift-wrapped in orange and white.

 Chambers, who also served as mistress of ceremonies, said she enjoys watching NCC seniors “have a good time.”

“They look forward to it every year,” she said.

NCC Commons Senior resident Alma River, center, and several other seniors danced the afternoon away.
NCC Commons Senior resident Alma River, center, and several other seniors danced the afternoon away.

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