On New Year’s Day, dozens of residents at Village on the Green cheered on their favorite school as the players took the field, watching on the big screen at the Heron Club, with plenty of drinks and tailgate snacks to go around. For the first time since 2016, The University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights lost a football game. While the result was disappointing to the many of the Village on the Green residents who cheered for the Knights, a fun competition with a fellow senior living community in Baton Rouge kept things interesting.
Village on the Green made a bet with St. James Place, a community with strong ties to LSU, on the game. If UCF had won, St. James Place would have sent King Cakes from Louisiana to the residents at Village on the Green. Since that wasn’t the case, Village on the Green residents were glad to send beautiful Florida oranges to Baton Rouge.
“We ultimately came up short in our friendly wager,” said Village on the Green executive director Doug Fleegle. “But what a great way to add some extra fun to the festivities by sharing in the action with another community.”
Residents say they’re proud of the Knights’ season and expect more great things in the coming years. Most of all, these independent seniors say it was great to celebrate the New Year with their friends and neighbors with football, food and camaraderie. They love taking part in events like the watch party, which are common at Village on the Green.
[In photo: Village on the Green residents Richard Orth (left) and Sue Metzger. Credit: Orlando Sentinel]
