With a big assist from local firefighters, police officers, and first responders, the staff at Ware Presbyterian Village organized a parade to boost the spirits of residents in the community on April 16.

The parade featured fire trucks and ambulances from Union Fire Company No. 1 in Oxford, police vehicles from Oxford Borough and West Nottingham, and numerous cars driven by Ware staff members that were decorated with balloons and inspirational posters. Ware staff members also dressed up in costumes and danced and waved to residents as the parade moved through the community.

“The Ware residents and staff have gone above and beyond to keep themselves and each other safe and healthy during this time,” said David Nicholson, the executive director of Ware Presbyterian Village. “We are celebrating the continued efforts of many to reinforce positivity while there is so much angst and negativity all around us. We will grow stronger from all of this.”

Nicholson thanked the local emergency responders for their support with staging the parade. He said that the first responders thought it was important to participate to bring cheer and well-wishes to residents in the community.

Residents like Berta Rains really appreciated the parade and the efforts of those who planned and staged it.

“It was the sweetest thing for them to do this,” she said a few hours after the parade.

Rains explained that after more than a month of social distancing and following the rules to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus, the residents do feel isolated. The parade helped.

She added that the Ware Presbyterian Village staff has been very supportive of residents through all this, doing everything they can to ensure that residents have what they need.

It was particularly touching, Rains said, to have local firefighters, police, and first responders take the time to be in the parade.

“Everybody felt so appreciative that they would go through the trouble to put on a parade for us,” Rains explained. “It made us feel really good to be in Oxford. It’s a wonderful community.”