Residents of Hearthstone at Wildwood senior living community didn’t just celebrate the new year for a few hours, they made it an all-day event.
An oversized paper clock had 12 colorful balloons, one on each number, so that at the top of every hour, a resident could pop a balloon to mark the start of the new year in another location around the world. From Australia at 8 a.m. to France at 6 p.m., residents traveled far and wide to celebrate the new year with the traditions of other countries.
Sam Grow, the activities director for the facility, said the event was a fun way to celebrate and honor countries around the world.
“My brain is a different kind of place,” Grow said. “We are all about creating memorable experiences for our residents. We are aiming to host events that people haven’t seen before. Every hour is something new and something crazy.”
The event started with an “Aussie Brekky” breakfast at 8 a.m. in the facility’s dining room.
Resident Pam Johnson participated in the breakfast and said the menu — which included sausage, beans and other Australian dishes — was delicious.
“They always seem to have something new and adventurous,” Johnson said. “The staff is very good to us here. This is my second facility and it is my favorite because there are a lot of people here.”
At 9 a.m., residents celebrated the beginning of 2026 in Fiji with an “Island Stretch and Move” physical activity in the theater.
Lee Schommer joined Grow in popping a forest green balloon at 10 a.m. to signify the start of the new year in Japan. The residents gave a celebratory cheer, led by Grow, before starting the next activity.
“Our friends in Japan are celebrating now,” Grow said.
Grow and his assistant, Taylor Brown, led a game of badminton, called “hanetsuki” in Japan, with eight other residents and three staff members.
Those who participated were feeling the burn after nearly 30 minutes of hitting the birdie back in forth. Most of the participants said it was their first experience playing badminton.
Resident Anna Marie Lachnicht got a lot of good hits in during the game. Wearing a festive “Happy New Year” hat and oversized glasses to get in the spirit, Lachnicht said she was excited for the new year.
“I’m looking forward to doing something new and more adventurous,” she said.
Following the celebration of the new year in Japan, the trip took a turn to celebrate the start of 2026 in China at 11 a.m. Acknowledging the traditions of Chinese culture, participants created do-it-yourself lanterns.
After a lunch break, the party picked back up around 1:30 p.m. with the celebration of India beginning the new year. Residents created drawings and designs during a Color Chalk Festival activity.
Festivities continued with the celebration of Bangladesh’s new year by creating bracelets at 2 p.m., the United Arab Emirates by making marshmallow towers at 3 p.m., Russia with a festive fashion show at 4 p.m. and France with a pancake celebration at 6 p.m.
During the downtime in between the activities, residents stayed engaged with a New Year’s themed word search and an informational newsletter.
To learn more about Hearthstone at Wildwood, visit hearthstonelivingfl.com/communities/wildwood.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
