In the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, State Senators Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) and Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) and delivered over 9,000 homemade valentines to seniors living in nursing homes and assisted living centers. The deliveries were part of the Senate Republicans’ annual Valentines for Seniors program.
DeWitte’s 33rd Senate District includes portions of Kane, McHenry, and DuPage Counties, and Wilcox’s 32nd District includes portions of McHenry and Lake Counties.
In the 33rd District, DeWitte said between his offices in West Dundee and St. Charles over 4,000 valentines were collected. He and his staff delivered them to 21 different facilities.
“This is my favorite event of the year because the community really comes together to make Valentine’s Day special for area seniors,” said DeWitte. “Loneliness can be an issue for seniors, and through our Valentines for Seniors program, they know they are valued and that people are thinking of them.”
In the 32nd District, the community helped set a new record for valentines.
“We set a new participation record this year in the 32nd District, with just over 5,000 valentines submitted by school, church, scouting, and 4-H groups and by residents who wanted to do their part to make local seniors feel appreciated,” said Wilcox. “The smiles on the seniors faces were priceless, and I cannot thank the community enough for participating in this heartwarming project.”
The Valentines for Seniors program is a statewide annual event, and all 19 Republican Senators participated. This year’s statewide total of valentines collected and delivered was just under 60,000.