Notre Dame students accompany a group of senior residents of American House to the musical, ‘Anything Goes.’
Seniors Madeline Allard and Richard Frost with photos of some of the American House residents who were guests of Notre Dame at last week’s production of “Anything Goes.”
A big part of their “senior service” project for the school year, Allard and Frost came up with this novel idea of combining community service with entertainment for the benefit of senior citizens who rarely get out for a "night on the town." Each of the 20 Notre Dame students picked up and escorted a senior to the musical and sat with him or her throughout the entire performance in case there were questions or to help explain any aspects of the performance on stage to their guests.
The students also hosted the seniors for an hour prior to the play for lemonade and cookies to help foster more conversation.
Logan Dimitri, who is life enrichment director at the Rochester Hills American House, said he was looking for ideas to support “intergenerational exchange,” one of his key initiatives for the year to help combat loneliness in the elderly, and the Notre Dame students’ idea fit right in.
The cost of the tickets was paid for after Allard and Frost held a bottle and can drive, which raised $200, more than enough to pay for all of the discounted tickets for the American House residents.
Elderly residents of the American House in Rochester Hills are on their way to opening night for Notre Dame’s fall musical, “Anything Goes.”
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.