Friends of Maple Grove organized a Valentine's Day Concert Celebration on Saturday, February 13, 2016.

Not even a Polar Vortex could stop the Friends of Maple Grove Valentine Day Concert Celebration! We had over 55 brave souls come to the event and bask in the warmth and friendly environment! They came by foot, train, taxi and even walker!

Thankfully the full force of the Polar Vortex came after the conclusion of the celebration.

When I arrived in the morning Bonnie had all the tables set up with the piano and TV in place. Bill Porter is a new volunteer who recently became a member and was a whirlwind of activity. Much of the food arrangement was done due to his skill.

Guests began arriving earlier and Helen manned the entrance table with Bill. We gave all who attended a beautiful Valentine’s Day gift, a gold or silver heart pendant, which delighted everyone.

The celebration began with a lecture, featuring the heartwarming love stories that have been discovered over the years from diligent research. Many are truly remarkable and I am delighted that they have been brought back to the light. Stories like these must NOT be lost to time!

The PowerPoint was followed by a musical performance by Bill Gati and two fellow musicians, one on bass and another on drums. They played a variety of melodies that had everyone tapping their feet and singing along. It really brought a great deal of joy to those in attendance.

The conclusion of the event was our reception of delicious food and hot beverage. Some of the treats were made by Helen and we had plenty for all! Bill Gati who is an architect also gave a tour of our beautiful building.

Needless to say we made a lot of new friends at this event and received many new membership applications.

Thanks again to Bill Porter, Jo Ann Raskin, Helen Day and Susan Horwich for all their help in making this a great success. I also wanted to thank Joanne Del Pilar for supervising the event on behave of the Maple Grove Cemetery Association. She helped me with the TV and computer set-up along with a frantic long distance call to Bonnie!

Another wonderful success!

Carl Ballenas President of the Friends of Maple Grove

Click here to see the flier for this event