'Nobody wanted it to end': Seniors prom brings together long-term care residents, Brock University students
Brock University students handed roses to long-term care residents at a seniors prom at Linhaven long-term care home in St. Catharines, Ont., on Saturday. The event was part of the Brock Cares community outreach program, and featured dancing, food and intergenerational bonding. (Stephen Leithwood photo)Social SharingTheir high school days might be in the rearview mirror, but residents of four long-term care homes in Ontario's Niagara region got to feel as if they were fresh-faced teenagers again, just like they were half a century ago or longer.
Residents at the special seniors prom even got to party with Brock University students at Linhaven long-term care home in St. Catharines.
The seniors prom had all the fixings of a high school one βballoons, food, music and dancing, minus the teenage angst and someone trying to spike the punch bowl.
The intergenerational event was a huge hit, so much so that the afternoon prom went longer than it was supposed to.
"Nobody wanted it to end," said Heather Wild, program manager at Linhaven.
Residents from the three other long-term care homes operated by Niagara's regional government β Rapelje Lodge in Welland, Northland Pointe in Port Colborne and Woodlands of Sunset on the border of Welland and Pelham β were bused to the prom.
In all, more than 60 residents, some of family members and 25 Brock students were at the Linhaven prom, among a number of events that the university students volunteered to go to across Niagara on Saturday as part of the Brock Cares community outreach program.
For Emily Poole, a third-year concurrent education student, it was her third year as a Brock Cares volunteer. When she heard about the seniors prom, she couldn't miss it.
"The event was full of energy. The turnout was amazing."
At the seniors prom at Linhaven, Brock University students brought music, dancing and celebration to long-term care residents, some of whom were attending their first prom. (Stephen Leithwood photo)Poole said it was heart-warming to see the residents get dressed up in formal attire with prom-like dresses and suits. There was even someone on site doing hair and makeup.
Wild said it was the first such event held in collaboration with Brock Cares, plus a first for many of the long-term care residents.
"When we started to plan this, talking to our residents, a lot of them were saying they never attended their proms," she said. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Poole volunteered in the photo booth, taking residents' photos with "silly" props.
"It was great to see their personalities shine and their excitement grow," she said, calling it "incredibly rewarding."
With a backdrop of white, gold and black balloons, and a disco ball twinkling overhead, residents satiated their sweet tooth with treats such as brownies, and custard with Linhaven Prom 2026 written with powdered chocolate on the creamy treat.
The students handed a rose to each woman.
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Wild said the dance floor was hopping, first with some oldies but goodies, and then with residents' requests to the DJ.
"Some wedding songs were requested," she said. "That made it very special because it was very personal to the residents.
"There were residents and some family members who were very emotional. There were some tears."
Brock students are scheduled to return to Linhaven in the fall to help with Halloween and Thanksgiving events, Wild said.
Paul Forsyth is a St. Catharines-based CBC reporter covering communities in the Niagara Region. He has decades of reporting experience in Niagara, having worked for Niagara This Week, the St. Catharines Standard and the Welland Tribune before joining CBC. You can reach him at paul.forsyth@cbc.ca.
