Island Home held its 4th annual Harvest Queen Pageant with seven contestants complete with evening gown, congeniality and an onstage interview by a panel of six judges.
Although each contestant deserved the crown, the judges had to pick one and selected Betty Clements as Harvest Queen at Island Home, which is part of Hillcrest Healthcare.
Island Home employees sponsored each contestant, assisting with gown selection, adorning the women with jewelry, applying makeup and styling their hair. The sponsor escorted each contestant onto the stage.
“There is nothing more heartwarming than seeing our residents dressed up in sparkling ballgowns and having the time of their life and knowing that our compassionate team members stepped in to help make it happen,” said Trudy Durham, the administrator at Island Home. “When the residents’ biographies were read out loud, seeing the reaction of their families brought tears to everyone’s eyes.”
Entertainer and song composer Louis Parisi always serenaded contestants for the Ms. Senior America Pageant with: “More than crowns and sashes … pretty makeup and eyelashes … she’ll always have that little girl inside.”
Beauty is ageless, and the pageant provided a timeless elegance for seven Harvest Queen contestants at Island Home. The joyfulness of the event was experienced by everyone – staff, patients and residents.
The Island Home healthcare community is located at 1758 Hillwood Drive in South Knoxville. The staff coordinates assorted activities, including the Harvest Queen Pageant, to give patients and residents opportunities to interact through games, crafts, exercise and more. The goal is to offer personalized and meaningful engagement opportunities for everyone.
Hillcrest Healthcare is committed to the well-being of everyone we serve and operates three skilled nursing, rehabilitation and long-term care facilities in Knoxville with 560 beds and more than 500 employees in the north, south and west communities.
Lavonda Cantrell, LMSW, LNHA, is vice president of the Hillcrest Healthcare Foundation and director of marketing and special projects at Hillcrest Healthcare. This story ran Jan. 22, 2020, at www.KnoxTNToday.com.