Luxury retirement community Wellington Bay celebrated Veterans Day by unveiling its new Wall of Honor in a moving ceremony dedicated to those who have bravely served our nation.
The event took place on Monday, Nov. 11 in the Wellington Bay lobby. The Wall of Honor commemorates the 21 Wellington Bay residents in Independent Living and eight residents at Lisbet Memory Care who served in the United States military.
In addition to the wall reveal, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard presented the colors. The ceremony was followed by a patriotic sing-along led by resident Shelly Block in the Liberty Center.
Resident and master gardener Bobbi Ziegler cut the ribbon at the community’s butterfly garden, a project she has been working on for several years in honor of the troops.
“I designed the garden and picked up all the plants from a local nursery,” she said. “We planted host plants where butterflies lay eggs and nectar plants as a food source for them.”
Ziegler hopes the garden will stand as a testament to all those who contributed their service to the nation.
“Wellington Bay is proud to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans, who have dedicated their lives to safeguarding our nation,” Campus Director Jay Mikosch said. “Today’s event is our way of expressing deep gratitude to the brave men and women who call Wellington Bay and Lisbet Memory Care home.”
Founders of the local nonprofit organization Honor Portraits Inc., Flora and Howard Zolin, were also in attendance as part of the festivities. A collective of local photographers and volunteers whose mission is to take free portraits of veterans as a way of thanking them for their service, the Zolins began Honor Portraits in 2016, and to date, they have photographed more than 750 veterans. As their nonprofit grows, they plan to expand their service to include local law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders.
The Wellington Bay event was open to residents and the local community, which drew an enthusiastic gathering of attendees who joined in honoring these American heroes.
