- May 8, 2024
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Sancerre at Palm Coast, a retirement and assisted living facility, held a back to school bash on July 15. They handed out backpacks and held a foam party for Flagler County kids. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Chick-Fil-A cow dropped by Sancerre at Palm Coast's Back to School Bash. Photo by Sierra Williams
Keara Banks, 12, (left) and Kimani McCoy, 14, (center) play in the foam with Kimani's sister, Trystin McCoy, 6. Photo by Sierra Williams
Sancerre at Palm Coast handed out 500 backpacks to families in need at its Back to School Bash on July 15. Photo courtesy of Sancerre at Palm Coast
Sancerre at Palm Coast, a retirement and assisted living facility, held a back to school bash on July 15 where kids could play in a foam pit and in bounce houses. Photo by Sierra Williams
Kona Ice was available for families to enjoy. Photo by Sierra Williams
Alexia Gordon with her cousins Alani Edwards, 9, Mikayla Laster, 5, Chariti Laster 8, Tatiana Laster, 11, and Mark Anthony, 9. Photo by Sierra Williams
Keilani Phillips, 4, enjoys the foam party. Photo by Sierra Williams
Sancerre at Palm Coast, a retirement and assisted living facility, held a back to school bash on July 15. They handed out backpacks and held a foam party for Flagler County kids. Photo by Sierra Williams
Sancerre at Palm Coast, a retirement home, hosted a Back to School Bash for Flagler County families on July 15. Photo by Sierra Williams
Brianna Garcia holds her son Brantley, 1, and niece Monroe Moreno, 1, as they and Kathryn pose with Mrs. Sunshine Santa Claus aka Debra Weller. Photo by Sierra Williams
Montana Moore poses with her two children, William, 5, and Juliette, 2, at the Sancerre Back to School Bash. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Sancerre team who orchestrated the Back to School Bash: Netta Linn, resident experience director; Kristen Dalrick, executive director; Lisa Blum, memory care director. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Back to School Bash had free food, coloring activities, a foam pit, bounce houses and face painting. Photo by Sierra Williams
Kaden Cyran, 4, gets his face painted. Photo by Sierra Williams
Brantley Garcia, 1, after playing in the foam pit. Photo by Sierra Williams
Monroe Moreno, 1, after playing in the foam pit. Photo by Sierra Williams
Lisa Blum, Sancerre's memory care director, and the Chick-Fil-A cow. Photo by Sierra Williams
Kids playing in the bounce houses at the Sancerre Back to School Bash. Photo by Sierra Williams
Chick-Fil-A team members Paula Losinger, Gracie Bellows and Travis Hurlbut provided catering to Sancerre's Back to School Bash. Photo by Sierra Williams
Trystin McCoy, 6, places foam on Keara Banks, 12. Photo by Sierra Williams
Sancerre at Palm Coast handed out 500 backpacks to families in need at its Back to School Bash on July 15. Photo courtesy of Sancerre at Palm Coast
Kids frolicked knee-deep in bubble foam, tumbled through bounce houses and had their faces painted outside the Sancerre at Palm Coast assisted living and memory care facility on July 15.
Sancerre's Back to School Bash provided over 500 backpacks full of school supplies to Flagler County children.
Resident Experience Director Netta Linn said the residents were excited about the new intergenerational event.
"They love kids," she said. "When the kids come in, they light up."
Sancerre residents helped plan and shop for the event and stuff the 500 backpacks, which ran out in the first 40 minutes, said Lisa Blum, memory care director for Sancerre at Palm Coast.
The Back to School Bash also offered movie-watching, coloring, a Christmas-in-July room featuring Mrs. Claus, and free food from Chick-fil-A, Wendy's and Five Star Pizza.
The event was the facility's first with the community, and it was a huge success — for kids, families and residents, Blum said.
"We're family, and we love everybody," Blum said. "So when you love someone and you give that kindness back, it's special."
Blum said she used to work for the school district, and that experience gave her the idea to host a community event at Sancerre.
Sancerre's owners and the Palm Coast location's executive director, Kristen Dalrick, gave her the green light.
Blum, Dalrick and Linn spent two months going door-to-door asking for sponsors and preparing for the Back to School Bash, Blum said.
Even though it was mostly a grassroots, community-based effort spread by word of mouth, it was "wildly successful," Dalrick said.
"We're so grateful that we could give them ... a fun, safe place to pick up their school supplies and feel good about their start for the year," Dalrick said.
Flagler County schools are back in session for students on Aug. 10.
Though the backpacks ran out quickly, none of the kids left empty-handed, Dalrick said.
Dalrick said the event showed Sancerre staff just how many families in Flagler County need community events like theirs.
She said Sancerre's business is about taking care of seniors, but the local children are these seniors' grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"Knowing how many families are in need in the county, I think ... certainly this will be an annual event for us," Dalrick said. "But we don't want to just do this once a year. We want to really help the families where they need our help."
