(Seguin) – A community parade this Wednesday is hoping to “Make A Difference” in the lives of some very important people.
The community parade being routed to travel in front of local nursing homes and assisted living facilities is the community’s attempt to not only bring joy to the residents but to recognize the healthcare heroes serving them around the clock. The parade is being called the Making A Difference: Healthcare Hero’s and Nursing Home Week Parade.
Among those leading the effort is Misti Abrameit-Guenther, of Advanced Home Health. Guenther says there is no underlying group or business organizing the parade just a community who wants to simply show its support as we continue to fight through this COVID-19 pandemic.
“The driving force was the fact that we know that our nursing homes have been shut in and our residents had not been able to see a whole of activity outside of their building at all and it’s Nursing Home Week this week so we thought what a better time in order to coordinate efforts to be able to go through. The weather has been nice and for the residents to see some happiness and just put some smiles on peoples’ faces. In addition, it is also our celebration of our health care heroes. We all know that health heroes have been staying really careful in trying to quarantine themselves and be there on the frontlines. I know that we have not had a severe outbreak here like many other areas have but I know that people have definitely taken it serious. People have been very care. Our staff at Advance been very careful in everything we’ve done so people’s lives have definitely been effected by this,” said Guenther.
Guenther says they are especially excited about others who have also committed to parading around town in support of these very deserving groups of people.
“It is community support. We have reached out and we’ve had great response from the mayor, the city manager, from Seguin PD, to Fire and EMS, to the sheriff’s department, to local physicians – Dr. (Terri) Quebedeaux would like to participate, the hospital, hospice has been wanting to participate. We have some local farmers who are bringing tractors and I just really want people to have patience because this has been a time of patience and this has been a time of change and if people realize it is really just about supporting the community and if you really think about these residents who don’t get to see things like this and who don’t get to have the happiness of seeing the outside right now. So all of the facilities are excited. Again, it’s a celebration of our nursing homes and I don’t think they get the recognition that I think they should in our community. That’s a very hard job. So, again if you can just take a pause, have a little patience with us as we travel through. This started out a very small project and it has grown to a very large project because people are very passionate in our community and support our people so well and want to see the happiness of these residents and just bring them some joy,” said Guenther.
Guenther says families of residents are invited to join the parade and or simply park around the facility to check out the festivities. Of course, they are reminded to not park in front of the building in which to block the view of the residents.
“We are gathering at 9 but because we’ve left it kind of open-ended, we are leaving that parking lot at 9:30 sharp and we are going to have to travel from that parking lot and go – if anybody has been on King Street recently, you know that you can’t get to Hacienda Oaks straight up King Street. So, we are going to have to take a few back roads. We’ll probably have to go down Cedar over to Heidecke and then go around to be able to go around the building of Hacienda Oaks and then we’ll come back out and come back down Heidecke over on Cedar. We’ll be coming down on King Street to Court and traveling over to Seguin Assisted Living after Hacienda Oaks. After we go to Seguin Assisted Living, we are going to travel to Argent Court. After leaving Argent Court, we are going to be coming back this direction and coming up King Street to see our other facilities Remarkable, Windsor, GVNC and then coming around and heading towards Nesbit. After we go through the Nesbit area, we’ll be circling back around up next to the hospital and we will be going into the hospital parking and then we will be separating from there but that includes seven facilities, our five nursing homes, nursing facilities and two assisted livings and then the addition of GRMC. They have many health care heroes there in addition,” said Guenther.
Guenther says while many parts of the state are beginning to reopen, it is not yet clear how long these facilities will remain closed to the outside world and says hopefully, Wednesday’s parade is a welcome treat for all.
“Many of these people wouldn’t be able to see a parade on a normal day and so we just want to be able to come through and tell the residents that we miss them – let them see some things that they normally wouldn’t see, make some posters and just really get to thank the health care heroes who have been out here working hard trying to keep those residents safe and not getting to have social lives because they are protecting those residents. They are going home and they are being careful when they go back to those facilities not to bring any type of illness into those facilities,” said Guenther.
The parade will depart from the Arlan’s or Seguin ISD Central Office parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Gathering of vehicles will begin at 9 a.m. Again, the public is encouraged to participate.