Miller’s Assisted Living Community held their first annual Miller’s Mini 500 on Memorial Day May 26th. Activity Director Cindy Flagg and the Wilson Family Volunteers worked together to turn the facility’s Main Lobby into a race track.
Randy Boos, Miller’s Maintenance Director designed a race track using lumber and plastic Matchbox tracks from the store. The Wilson girls created poster board with brackets showing tow residents racing against each other at a time. Each resident was invited to choose a Matchbox car of their liking for the race. They were also given racing wrist bands to wear and checkered flags to wave.
In keeping with race tradition, Flagg opened the race day activities with prayer and played the National Anthem on her trumpet while the crowd sang. She then shouted “Ladies and Gentlemen start your engines” and the racing began.
Twenty eight residents began the elimination type race. The Wilson volunteers acted as the pit crew and retrieved cars that crashed or had problems throughout the race. The winner of Heat #1 was Jack Henricks. Lois Edmonds won Heat # 2.
Henricks and Edmonds then went head to head against each other to determine the champion of the Miller’s Mini 500. Excitement filled the air as they aligned their cars on the track. The cars ran neck and neck until Henricks orange #41 zoomed past Edmonds blue #7 at the bottom of the track. Henricks walked away with the grand prize trophy for the day.
Residents were encouraged to keep their cars for next year’s race. Everyone was treated to popcorn served in checkered flag cups and a homemade, candy race car.
Photo: Jack Henricks – seated – was the first place winner of Miller’s Mini 500 Memorial Day race at Miller’s Assisted Living. Beside him is Lois Edmonds who placed second and Makayla Wilson and Autumn Wilson who served as pit crew.
