A sea of red filled the Raymond Johnston Community Centre for the Otter Lake 50 Plus Club’s annual Valentine’s dinner and dance on Saturday evening, and spirits were high even as a winter storm made its arrival outside.
While attendees had every manner of reason to be there, it felt as if this was one big family dinner with really good music and a handy cash bar on the side.
A steady stream of volunteers sporting red “Golden Hearts Otter Lake Golden Age Club” aprons were at the ready from the front door, to the food line, cleanup and bar. “You can’t put on a party without help,” club president and host Janet Lafleur beamed of her team. “Volunteers are precious!”
The popular format offered a long series of numbered tables stretching from one end of the hall to the other, each adorned in the colour of the day. As the number on the table was called, jubilant party-goers rose and attended the buffet line for a feast of feasts including roast beef, mashed potatoes and all of the various fixings that one would expect at an extended family gathering.
Once the meal was complete, local talent 4 Better Times took to the stage offering everything from old country to new, and from classic rock to sing-along fun. The band consists of Doug Ems, Paul Eastwood, Denis St-Jean, and Lily Groulx and has been the headliner for this event under various permutations for a number of years. The musicians clearly know both their craft and their audience as they had the dance floor thumping for the duration.
