On Tuesday, February 20, the ‘Friendship Festa’ had an incredible lunch prepared by the wonderful Just Italy Catering Service and was enlivened by the unmistakable rhythms of maestro Paolo Pergolese on the piano, who accompanied the enchanting voice of Sestino.

Invited to speak at the event was the director of Peninsula Health, which runs the local hospital in Rosebud. The director gave the rundown of how the $50,000 donation received from the club last year was spent.

Members learnt that two special automated medical chairs were purchased, which will be used for minor operations and for dressing external wounds. The hospital also purchased a specialised machine for locating patients’ veins and arteries.

A mobile chair for transporting patients from one ward to another, as well as six medical chairs for patients who would otherwise be confined to bed were acquired.

Finally, an ice-making machine rounded out the items the Rye Pensioners’ Club generously helped to buy.

Invited to speak by club president Nerina Berni, Frank Di Blasi congratulated her and the committee members on their extraordinary commitment to voluntary work, as well as their assistance to the club’s 170 members - plus the local community.

Francesco Pascalis, coordinator of the Co.As.It.’s University of the Third Age, also spoke.

“The so-called ‘third age’, the age of retirement from working life, is a very important period for every person, perhaps the most important,” began Pascalis.

“No longer having a constant occupation allows one the time to think about oneself. What better opportunity exists to keep alive one’s interests and passions?

“In order to keep our minds healthy, we need to stimulate them.

“The general culture classes, in Italian, at the University of the Third Age are a service offered to members of ‘differently young’ circles in our community, precisely for this purpose.”

Pascalis concluded his short speech with a heartfelt appeal to all members of the Rye Pensioners’ club to come along to the classes, which are sure to benefit them.

Throughout the afternoon, members took to the dance floor to move to the pleasant and familiar melodies of the musical duo, Pergolese and Sestino.