There was a significant crowd at H.J. McFarland Memorial Home on Saturday as the facility held its annual open house.

The family-friendly event included a barbecue and pig roast, a dog show, live music, as well as carnival games and treats for kids. The annual showcase of the facility had an especially lighthearted atmosphere this year and administrator Kim Mauro said it was part of a concerted effort to make the home a more interesting place to be for its residents.

“Over the past couple of years there have been a lot of transitions here at H.J. McFarland,” Mauro told the crowd Saturday. “A lot of it, actually all of it, is because of the team we have at H.J. McFarland.”

Priority number one, Mauro said, is making sure the residents are receiving the best care possible. However, it was felt there needed to be a little bit of excitement.

McFarland Home nutritional supervisor Joe Chapman and son Bryce enjoy the open house. (Chad Ibbotson/Gazette staff)

“Our activity team took it upon themselves to run a little wild,” she said. “They are dynamic people — we’ve got our frontline caregivers, we’ve got our activity people, we’ve got laundry, housekeeping, maintenance, dietary — this is the most dynamic group I have ever worked with and I’ve been in healthcare for over 30 years.”

She said the day wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of the team.

“It gets me a little choked up to talk about how people have come together to make this happen,” she said. “It’s no surprise to me because they come together to make this place happen each and every day.”

Councillor Bill Roberts brought a message on behalf of Mayor Robert Quaiff and council. He said he’d been coming to the open house for the better part of 10 years and Saturday’s was by far the best and most exciting event he’s attended in that time.

“I really want to congratulate everyone here at H.J. McFarland on all the recent updates the home has undergone,” he said. “I want to recognize the changes that have happened here, the positive contributions made by our administrator Kim Mauro, all of the staff, the family council, the resident council, and the many volunteers at the home.”

He said that effort has contributed to a great environment for the home’s residents and the municipality is committed to continuing to support the home.

“It is a vital part of our community, it’s a place of support, it’s a place of great comfort for many of our county residents,” he said.