Mother Nature got into the spirit of the moment and provided a gentle summer breeze as guests arrived at Plum Creek Senior Assisted Living Community in Brunswick August 9 for the annual "Summer Breezes" fund raiser that "helps HANDS help Medina County's older adults."

Plum Creek's gracious hosts, Dan and Nancy Ihrig and Nate and Kathy Elseser, again opened their facility to the large crowd of people who, for a small price of admission and donation of a non-perishable food item, gathered to enjoy an extensive array of delicious food and wine, listen to fantastic music by the very talented keyboard artist Dave Young, and share quality time with friends in the pleasant setting. As always, residents of Plum Creek were invited to join in the festivities.

Volunteers quietly scurried about making sure things ran smoothly: Set Up, Dennis Barrington, Jacob and Joseph Barrington and Team Plum Creek; Check In, Connie Barrington and Tony Giovinazzo; Door Prize Registration, Tony and Sally Giovinazzo and Carol Elkins; Elysian Basket Raffle, Lynn Tegowski; Manning Three Wine Stations, Michael and Ashleigh Schneider, Terry and Karen Hammon, Greg Betz, Matt Gaebelein and Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell; Appetizer Queen, Sandy Calvert; Welcome/Door Prize Winners Announcer, new mom Kathy Elseser; and the Restock/Clean-Up/Hold it All Together Crew, Liason Leeann Schafer and Buckeye High School NHS students Amber Koontz, Anthony Rinaldi, Nicole Koontz and Stephanie Alramsey.

The 2011 "Summer Breezes" sponsors contributed greatly to the success of the fun-filled evening: Always Best Care Senior Services, American Engineering and Manufacturing, Barbara Cumming, Bill and Polly Bittner, Brunswick Citizen's Police Academy Alumni Association, Brunswick Eagles #3505 Ladies Auxiliary, Brunswick Smoke Shop, Buehler's Fresh Food-Brunswick, Carlson's Funeral Homes, Chiropractic Associates, Chris and Gillian Laribee-Reid, Chuck and Sandy Calvert, Dan and Lucy Sondles, Dan and Nancy Ihrig, David and Marilyn Sigel, Elmcroft of Medina Assisted Living and Memory Care, Elysian Salon and Spa, Falling Water Healthcare Center, Friends of Dennis Hanwell, GTB Medical Service Inc., Harb's Auto Service Inc., Heimatland, Home Instead Senior Care, Joyce Giles, Judy Curren, Kathe Shook, Let's Decorate Inc., Life Care Center, Mark's Cleaning Service, Medina Village Retirement Community, Nate and Kathy Elseser, Pearlview Care Center, Plum Creek Assisted Living, R.A. Tielke Tax and Accounting, Right at Home In Home Care and Assistance, Sandridge Food Corporation, Steve and Rose Viny, The Gaebelein Family, Tony and Sally Giovinazzo, Visiting Angels, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC-The Hanna-Poling Financial Group, Western Reserve Bank, Western Reserve Masonic Community and Willowood Care Center.

Throughout the evening people engaged in light-hearted conversation, shared laughter, and reminisced with old and new friends and acquaintances. Many guests were the lucky recipients of door prizes that included beautiful flowers and chocolates, while still others were the winners of the theme packages offered in the silent auction.

At the end of the evening, the boxes of food that had been so generously donated were loaded into a large truck to benefit the Feeding Medina County Initiative.