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Puzzle contest lets spirits soar
Beeghly Oaks residents teamed up for a bit of friendly competition, laughs and plenty of memories.
By ELISE FRANCO
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
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Super Bowl of Puzzles
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Residents of Beeghly Oaks celebrated the 20th anniversary with a puzzle contest.
BOARDMAN — A local nursing home was buzzing with excitement and competitive spirit, but it had nothing to do with the upcoming Super Bowl.
Friday marked the end of a five-day jigsaw puzzle competition at the Beeghly Oaks Nursing Home on Market Street.
Three teams of nursing home residents worked together to complete a 300-piece jigsaw puzzle.
The winners will attend a luncheon at noon Friday at Blue Wolf Tavern on U.S. Route 224 in Boardman.
Maureen McCarty, activities director for Beeghly Oaks, said the point of the contest was to build relationships.
“We’re trying to create interaction and friendships,” she said. “You can see them building and forming.”
It’s important to keep residents active within the nursing home community, McCarty said, and activities such as the puzzle contest are a good way to do that.
“These activities really identify different people’s interests,” she said. “It’s important to do things that really reflect who your population is.”
McCarty said team members would spend a few hours each day working on their puzzles, and it was exciting to watch them interact.
“The most exciting thing was watching their eye contact,” she said.
The three teams were called Victory, Winners and The Patriots.
Team Victory, comprised of team captain Sandy Green and team members Mike Kadilak, Pat Menold, Ruth Brown and Madaline Mineo, lived up to its name by being the first team to complete its jigsaw puzzle.
“My team members were dynamite,” Green, 69, said. “Our team name came from a gospel song of the same title.”
She said they played the song throughout the entire contest to “unnerve” the other participants.
“It worked!” Green said.
Kadilak, 92, said he was lucky enough to arrive at Beeghly Oaks the day the contest began.
“I enjoyed this very much,” he said. “This is fun. Instead of sitting in our rooms and brooding, we’re all out here together.”
Kadilak, who said he will only be in the nursing home for about five more days, said he will remember the camaraderie of his team.
Sophia Bush, 91, was the team captain for The Patriots. She said she thought her team chose the most challenging puzzle.
“We’re still going,” Bush said. “It’s been challenging, but we’re all here together, having fun together.”
efranco@vindy.com