Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 12/21/2021
HOLYOKE – On Dec. 6. approximately 250 seniors from Holyoke put on their dancing shoes and stepped out for a night on the town for the 20th Annual Senior Citizen Rock and Roll Christmas hosted by the Holyoke Police Department, made possible by sponsors.
This year the dinner and show took place at the Wycoff Country Club. Starting at 3:30 p.m., a troop of five Peter Pan buses traversed the city to pick up seniors throughout locations in Holyoke, including Holyoke Senior Center, Holyoke Towers, Devonshire Place, Mt. Marie, Sycamore Tower, Holyoke Tower, Prospects Heights and Pulaski Heights. Holyoke Police Chief Matt Moriarty noted that 50 people were on each bus, and all were required to wear face masks.
According to Moriarty, Chief Anthony Scott, retired. started the event 20 years ago, because he wanted to give something back and have something to do for the seniors. He explained, “As we all know, a lot of seniors don’t have a lot of opportunities to get out, and for our seniors in Holyoke, the idea was that it would be free. You call up and get your reservation, and it started.”
He said back when it began buses picked the seniors up and then went to Bright Nights and a show. Over the years, the venue eventually changed and took place at places like the Holyoke Senior Center, Dean Tech and Wycoff Country Club. Moriarty said it ultimately “morphed” and became “a pickup, a dinner and a show.”
“Over the past several years, we stayed with the same program. We have several buses, and we go all through the city…There’s always a bus stop or bus pickup in their area where they’re living,” he said.
Moriarty explained during the ride “they start playing Christmas music, and a raffle is called out.” There are about 10 to 12 raffles with bags filled with small items, and additionally, each person also receives a free bag made from the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department’s York Street Industries.
Once the guests arrived at Wycoff they had a chicken dinner and dessert and were entertained by Ray of Elvis. Mayor Joshua Garcia was in attendance, and some seniors took the opportunity to get down on the dance floor with Lt. Reyes – which can be viewed on the department’s Instagram page.
The coordinator for the event, Kate McCoy, who is the department’s bookkeeper, said they promote the event by putting up posters donated by Hampden Paper at the senior center and the high rises and senior living complexes throughout the city, then seniors sign up. She also added that they “have the same sponsors every year and have been very good to us because the cost for the events runs somewhere in the $12,000 range.”
Moriarty stated, “It’s always a great event. It’s nice, you know, the seniors are very appreciative of it, and we appreciate them, of course.”