Residents Wrap Gifts for Seniors in Annandale

More than 50 Annandale-area residents came together on Tuesday to wrap Christmas gifts for Fairfax County senior adults as part of Home Instead Senior Care's annual "Be a Santa to a Senior" holiday gift program.

For the seventh year in a row, Home Instead hosted a gift wrapping party and invited the public to come out to the Annandale Fire Station 8 to wrap and bag the presents. The volunteers worked like elves in Santa's workshop to spend about three hours wrapping presents.

The presents were purchased and donated by residents who selected ornaments with gift suggestions hidden inside that indicated an item a senior citizen needed or wanted this Christmas. The ornaments were available on Home Instead Christmas trees at nine locations, including ProMaxx Fitness and Juke Box Diner in Annandale.

"For a lot of impoverished seniors, this gift is the only one they'll get this Christmas," said Jason Sager, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Annandale.

Sager estimated volunteers wrapped about 2300 gifts Tuesday, and added that they would be delivered to each of the intended seniors as early as this weekend and "definitely by Christmas".

Local singer Lionel Ward provided the entertainment for the evening during the wrapping party. Dressed like Elvis, Ward crooned like the King and serenade the volunteers as they worked,

Refreshments for the event were provided by Annandale's own Magill's and Chic-Fil-A.