The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, October 19, 1995             TAG: 9510170088
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS          PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   52 lines

`TROPICAL' BENEFITS COLLECT SUPPLIES FOR ST. THOMAS

Seniors at Sentara Nursing Center Norfolk lived amid a tropical paradise earlier this month to help restore one recently destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn.

Beginning Oct. 10, the 232 seniors at the Newtown Road facility held a weeklong series of benefits to help bring in donations of school supplies for the people of St. Thomas, who experienced devastating destruction during the September storm.

A reggae band played one afternoon, WAVY-TV weather anchor Don Slater spoke about atmospheric conditions on another day, and the current Miss Norfolk, Jennifer Holmes, sang some island songs on yet another.

The main attraction each day, however, was a ``shadow box experience,'' called ``The Tropics.'' By using multicolored drapes, strobe lights, fish netting and cut-out sea creatures, activities director Deborah Freeman transformed her office into a picture-postcard tropical aquarium for the week. Resident seniors and guests from local preschools, family support groups and other community groups visited the room each day to sample the undersea world, complete with gurgling water as sound effects. As admission, they donated school supplies for St. Thomas.

``It's really been hard to get any work done this week,'' Freeman admitted with a laugh. ``But we wanted to do something a little different and so I came up with this idea to create a three-dimensional work of art.''

The seniors and staff chose St. Thomas as a beneficiary of their efforts because the plight of the people in the Virgin Islands struck a chord.

``We like to keep our seniors involved in what's happening in the community and in current events,'' Freeman explained. ``They can all identify with hurricanes.''

After hearing of the seniors' efforts to help St. Thomas, several local businesses decided to help. The Norfolk restaurant Up Rising donated several island-style dishes for visitors to sample after visiting the shadow box, and U.S. Air personnel volunteered to fly all the donated school supplies to St. Thomas for free. Other Sentara nursing facilities also collected supplies toward the effort.

``This has been such a tremendous experience,'' Freeman said. ``It's making the seniors feel so good . . . and we're having a great time, too.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP

Clarence Love, an 85-year-old resident of Sentara Nursing Center

Norfolk, enjoys a visit from Miss Norfolk, Jennifer Holmes.

by CNB