Bazaar madness
Russell Meadows Retirement Community raised a total of $2,213.50 for the Seniors’ Council, which will go towards some of their many programs and/or different entertainment options at their home. Pictured from the left, Doris Leclerc, Judy Adams, resident and vendor, Rita Goulet, educational manager, Ken Williams, resident and president of Duncanville Russell Resident Council and Eric Chartrand, co-owner and manager of Russell Meadows Retirement Community.   Glover photos

Kory Glover
Villager Staff
RUSSELL – Russell Meadows Retirement Community hosted their annual bazaar on Tues., Dec. 4 to help bring the community together, raising a total of $2,213.50.

Elaine Lalande had her own table at the bazaar, selling an assortment of handmade Christmas decorations including wreaths made out of mesh ribbon. Lalande said that it takes up to two days to complete one wreath, so she’s very happy to finally be selling them.

“This is a bazaar in the sense that it’s more of a community thing. Our theme is Dutch because we have a lot of Dutch people in Russell,” said Doris Leclerc, activity and recreation manager of Russell Meadows. “We had St. Nicholas here this morning, who gave everyone a gift from the Earth, so everyone gets a tangerine. We take beautiful pictures and we also have the Dutch choir. This whole community comes together. All our seniors from upstairs volunteer at different booths and they [rotate with] each other so they’re always helping out.”

According to Leclerc, it’s the community that really makes the bazaar special, saying that the support they receive each year is tremendous.

“This morning, we had like 400 people in the house,” she said. “The volunteers we get from the community are always fantastic and a big help to our cause.”

All the money raised from the bazaar will go towards the Seniors’ Council for different programs at the retirement home. 

“We have a variety of programs like the Share Your Dream program, making some of the seniors’ dreams come true,” she said. “We also have concerts and other entertainment. We do very specific, different kinds of activities that the seniors really enjoy.”