IRVINGTON, NJ — Irvington’s annual Senior Appreciation Night made a comeback on April 16, hosting hundreds of senior citizens in the Irvington High School gym. Now having been held for a decade, Senior Appreciation Night brings seniors in town together for dinner and a raffle; Mayor Tony Vauss said pretty much every attendee this year walked out with a prize. The 2022 event was the first the town was able to hold in a few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing cancellations.
“I figured that coming off of COVID, people who have (been) cooped up for the last couple of years wanted to get out,” Vauss said. “This was the first year back.”
Prizes included televisions, microwaves, blenders and other similar items. Gift cards and cash were also raffled off. The prizes were all donated by organizations in Irvington, including the Irvington Fire and Irvington Police departments. The event was catered by Marlo’s Restaurant.
The event also served as a vaccination clinic; Vauss, municipal council members and staff all wore T-shirts encouraging residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Attendees could do so at the event, whether it was receiving an initial vaccine or a booster shot.
Senior Appreciation Night was originally hosted in the senior center before outgrowing the space and needing to move to a bigger venue, as more people wanted to participate. IHS has given the event its biggest space yet — and Vauss said they ran out of tables.
“They know it’s happening,” he said. “I hope we don’t outgrow the high school. It was the best event we’ve had so far, and we’ve done some great events.”
Photos Courtesy of Tony Vauss
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