If you drove down Franklin Road near WalMart around lunchtime on July 3, you probably spotted a man wearing an Uncle Sam hat and holding a sign pointing toward “Free Food!”

He wasn’t kidding.

Pheasant Ridge Retirement Residence held a free cookout, open to the public, in celebration of both the Fourth of July and the facility’s recent change in management from Sunwest Management Inc. to Smith/Packett.

While burgers and hotdogs sizzled on the grill, residents, relatives, friends and employees danced to summer hits like Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville,” played by local band, Island Music Trio.

Door prizes and classic yard games like croquet, bocce and t-ball also added to the fun.

But the highlight of the event, on display in the lobby, was an authentic letter written and signed by George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The letter details a request from Washington to have a locket made containing a portrait of his wife. The display belongs to the private collection of James Smith, CEO of Smith/Packett.

Smith started Smith/Packett in 1969. Since then the Virginia based company has developed over 150 senior living projects including nursing homes, senior apartments and assisted living communities.

Since Pheasant Ridge currently has only about 20 residents, this cookout was not just a celebration, but an opportunity for the facility, which has been open since August 2007, to announce its presence to the public and generate interest.

“We want to make this a real community and get everyone involved,” said James Pietrzak, president of Smith/Packett. “You’re going to see a lot of action [from Pheasant Ridge] in the next couple months.”

To learn more about Pheasant Ridge Retirement Residence, visit www.PheasantRidgeRET.com

Top photo: Joyce Bennet and mom, Esther Furnival dance to the steel drums of local band, Island Music Trio.

Bottom photo: An authentic letter written and signed by George Washington during the Revolutionary War details a request from Washington to have a locket made containing a portrait of his wife. The display belongs to the private collection of James Smith, CEO of Smith/Packett.

To see more photos, visit our gallery.

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• Posted by ryan jones in Events
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