The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 2, 2007 - 25 Humour and song make George a great guy By Andrew Fruch SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Winning an award recognizing someone as a resident of the year for personal achievement is quite a remarkable feat. For George Anthony, who was recently presented with the Rick Winchell Resident of the Year 2007 award by the Ontario Retirement Communities Association (ORCA), it was the product of sharing his love of singing for those around him. Singing with friends has always held a special place in Anthony's heart. Whether it was with the church choir when he was a boy, or the many Sunday nights when his mother would play piano as the whole family joined in song. "Sunday nights were old fashioned ways," said Anthony. "My mother played the piano and we would sing. My father sang in some productions. They were musical, so I guess I inherited it." At 89 years of age, Anthony is now sharing his love of singing with his fellow residents at Churchill Place retirement community and beyond. For the last two years, under the direction of Anthony, a choral group by the name of the Churchill Chimes, has been travelling to various retirement communities, performing for the residents and bringing entertainment that allows his audience to forget their woes and join in. "When you see people singing, you get a lift out of it," said Anthony. "We are the only retirement home with our own choral group. Whenever we perform somewhere, it's always an interesting outing." A performance by the Chimes is always sure to please the crowd. "People need a break in between songs," said Anthony. "So I like to keep things humourous, I tell a few jokes in between songs." With Anthony's commitment and dedication, the Chimes have grown into a group of 20 residents. It was this that earned him the nomination for the Resident of the Year award. A retired aircraft mechanic for Air Canada, Anthony spent a good number of years working out of Dorval, Quebec, but also spent six months in Iceland, two years in Goose Bay Labrador and eighteen months in Trinidad. But Anthony's biggest accomplishment was 51 years of marriage to his late wife Dorothy, and his two sons, Kym and Grayne. DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER FRIENDLY FACE: George Anthony received the Rick Winchell Resident of the Year Award from the Ontario Retirement Communities Association. Anthony has been living in Churchill Place Retirement Centre for the past seven years, and has made many friends with his kind nature and sense of humour. It was after the passing of his wife, in 1999, that Anthony first began to contemplate a move to Ontario, in which both his sons resided with their families. In April of 2001, Anthony made the move from Quebec to Ontario. After touring a variety of retirement homes in the GTA, Anthony settled on Churchill Place and has been a resident ever since. It wasn't long before Anthony started to involve himself in activities at Churchill Place, quickly becoming in charge of the bridge league. From this involvement, Anthony began considering the possibility of bringing one of his passions to his fellow residents. From this came the Chimes. Practicing once a week, the choral group became a sensation among the residents of Churchill Place. It was not long before the choral group, wearing their matching shirts, began performing outside of Churchill Place. With the success of the Chimes, the management at Churchill Place decided to nominate Anthony for the Resident of the Year award. "They told me I was nominated, but I didn't think I would win," said a modest Anthony. The award was presented to Anthony at a luncheon that took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, on April 16, which was attended by several hundred representatives from the long-term and retirement care field. ORCA is a voluntary provincial organization that represents owners, operators and product and service suppliers involved in the retirement and residential care sector. ORCA's goal is to optimize the quality of living for more than 17,000 residents. NEW LOOK 6147 Easy 2 hour sew time per piece! Way to Go ! BD Canada Special Selections of: PRINTED BLACKOUT PRINTED SUEDE · TAFFETA WIDE WIDTH DÉCOR DÉCOR & TEXTURES · VOILE JACQUARDS & TEXTURES In the Fabric Department: PRINTED COTTON BLENDS LINEN LOOKS · TAFFETA STRETCH TWILL Prints & Solids BROADCLOTH · DENIM FLANNELETTE PRINTS SPORTSWEAR CHIFFON FASHION PRINTS POLYESTER Solids & Prints In the Notions Department: ASST'D TRIM & ELASTIC sold by the meter POM POM FRINGE RIBBON HANKS HOOK & LOOP TAPE HANKS BLANKET BINDING BROADCLOTH FOLDOVER STRETCH LACE BELTING & BELT WEBBING SEQUIN APPLIQUES & more! BUY 1 m or unit at Our Reg. Price, GET 2 FREE! With strong senior management support, a dedicated committee and more than 85 per cent participation from its employees, BD raised $85,795 for the Oakville community, a whopping 28 per cent increase from 2006! HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Buy 1 full metre or unit of selected merchandise at Fabricland's regular price, get the next 2 metres or units (of equal value or less) FREE! Sale in effect April 23-May 13, on selected merchandise, while quantities last. No special orders. Most items available in all stores. Look for the red sale tags. NEW LOOK PATTERNS - 2.49 ea. Offer valid April 30-May 6, while quantities last. Not valid with any other discounts. This ad space generously donated by The Oakville Beaver Insertion date: Wed., May 2, 2007 (or other) OPEN SUNDAYS 12-5 Insertion Size: 4 X 110 (or other) 140 Please set all address info here. Proof to Manager. Rebecca St. OAKVILLE 844-7728 844-7728