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PENNY FLETCHER PHOTOS
Sandi Sims, activities director at Sun City Senior Living, helps Charlie McHugh aim for a strike as a hot game of Wii bowling progresses at the Sun City Senior Living complex. The residents may attend bowling time daily if they wish for a good round of exercise that’s both easy and fun.
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When people who have given me good leads for stories and columns in the past send me emails about something new or exciting, I usually follow-up. If they’ve been good judges of what a story is in the past, there’s a decent chance they’re a good judge of interesting material now.
So two weeks ago when I received an email from Jo Wentworth, who used to be a neighbor of mine in Riverview and now lives at Sun City Senior Living assisted care complex, I knew it was probably worth checking out. The story leads she’s occasionally sent me in the past never failed to pan out.
This time, Jo told me since the new activities director where she resides, Sandi Sims, has come on board, things have really gotten interesting.
When I arrived Jan. 25, I could see immediately that Jo was right. The list of regular activities and special events surprised even me, who has been writing about Sun City Center activities for nearly a quarter of a century. (This fact was recently called to my attention by a copy of an old photo sent to me by Jack Fischer, who found it in the community’s Historical Society archives.)
At 61, Sandi is a ball of energy. She and her husband Darrell – who is also still actively engaged in his career as a computer programmer–moved to Florida from Michigan to be near their children and grandchildren.
Sandi’s interesting background includes growing up in a Norwegian dairy-farming settlement; 31 years working in the Exceptional Student Education department of a Michigan school system; and having three grown children, two of whom now live in Florida.
When Sandi retired from the school system, she answered an ad in a Hillsborough County newspaper for a receptionist job at Sun City Senior Living and got it. Her husband was already living here, having answered a newspaper ad three years before, leaving Sandi with the details of selling their northern home and moving their things.
She says she figured the move here was “just meant to be because the way they got their jobs long-distance.”
Once she arrived at the assisted living complex, however, the former director of the facility said Sandi had too much experience to offer to sit behind a desk all day. So instead of the job she was hired for, she was assigned to the activities department.
Since May, she has been Activities Director.
Bobby Ball debates his strategy for making a tough spare on his next shot.
She’s planned musical events; does a weekly “Name that Tune”; has someone come in who plays Spanish guitar and someone else who plays four instruments; and a few months back, she held a 1950s-style Rock n’ Roll party residents say was probably the most well-attended event in the history of the place.
I interviewed Sandi on the fly as she was headed to the daily Wii bowling event.
For those not familiar with the Wii, it’s a Nintendo video-game that makes use of special motion-sensitive hand-held controllers that allow you to swing swords, throw punches, drive cars or play sports, including bowling, boxing, golf, tennis and baseball.
The Wii Sports package is not for sissies. I have personally worked up a sweat boxing; failed tremendously at golf and tennis (just as I do in real life) and had some pretty good scores in baseball and bowling, which were two of my favorite sports back in the day.
As Sandi set up the game on the big-screen TV, one by one the regular players emerged ready to go.
Bobby Ball, Art Priebe, Charlie McHugh and Peggy Cochard all said they tried not to miss a day.
Peggy, who I had met about 15 years ago when she self-published her book of poems, “Pure Nostalgia,” said that since Sandi’s been in charge of activities “things really happen around here.”
Several agreed that bingo is a big draw but events based around music are usually the best.
People who may not remember what they ate for breakfast or who their spouses are (who are in a different building than the assisted-living residents) sometimes remember every word of a song.
“Something happens when the music starts,” Sandi told me. “They go to a place they’ve been before, and some of them remember every word. Feet start tapping, and you can see a difference in their eyes.”
The same joy of music is available for those in the assisted living center who still have acute minds but may need some physical help with everyday tasks.
Sandi takes photographs of every event and her computer-savvy husband is putting together a slide show residents will be able to watch together over and over again.
“They’re still making memories,” Sandi said. “Recently we visited a horse ranch and we’re going back because two of the horses we saw have had babies. We have spa days and short trips to places they show interest in.”
There are also crocheting and knitting groups. Sandi is proud that her resident crafters produced 17 lap robes, three quilts and 12 knitted hats that were given to the needy in South County over the holidays.
From trivia games to cooking classes, there isn’t much down time at Sun City Senior Living now that Sandi’s around. Unless someone wants or needs it. While there, I found several people quietly reading, or enjoying the gardens outside.
It’s always fun to get an email from someone I haven't seen in awhile who has something new to share I haven’t written about before.
Thanks to Jo, now more people know about Sandi and the new career she’s found right in our backyard.
*Perhaps you have something you’d like to share. Or maybe you’d rather tell the community about your favorite charity or cause: or sound off about something you think needs change. That’s what “Over Coffee” is about. It really doesn’t matter whether we actually drink any coffee or not (although I probably will). It’s what you have to say that’s important. E-mail me any time and suggest a meeting place. No matter what’s going on, I’m usually available to share just one more cup.
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