Last Friday, hundreds of students paraded down Centre Street to the German Centre in full costume for the sixth annual Halloween Parade.

Parents and well-wishers lined the street during the parade, which then filtered through the halls of the senior living facility to greet hundreds more residents. The idea behind the walk is to bridge the age gap between the two populations and bring some holiday cheer to all involved.

Characters of all descriptions were seen roaming the halls, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Captain America, several Minions, several Spidermen, Demon Hunters, professional athletes, Ms. Frizzle, witches, French fries, clowns, bank robbers, the Lorax, wizards, princesses, popcorn, healthcare professionals and more.

German Centre Activity Director Daffney Guey dressed up as Princess Tiana from the Disney film, The Princess and the Frog.

“It’s amazing, and it brings joy to my heart, especially with the residents here,” she said. “The seniors get so excited every year, and I don’t know who’s more happy, honestly, the seniors or the kids.”

Guey said the staff members get into the spirit as well, with many dressing up for the season. There were several residents who also wore clothing celebrating Halloween during the parade.

“I’m Princess Tiana, and I get excited every year,” she said, adding that she’s keeping next year’s costume a surprise.

St. Theresa’s School Principal Mary Kate Stephatos said the school has no plans to stop.

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“Going to the German Centre has been a fabulous experience here at St. Theresa’s, and it’s a day our school looks forward to every Halloween,” she said. “It’s something I hope we will never change here, because it’s just who were are, in helping and serving our community. It’s just amazing to bring the two communities together. The students bring so much joy and happiness to the residents and all those working there as well.”

German Centre Communications Manager Debbie Weisberg said it’s been an amazing six years, and the tradition has become well-loved by the residents.

“It’s just wonderful, and the residents look forward to it every year,” she said. “I think they started talking about which costumes they wanted to see about two weeks ago, and you saw the kids faces, they love this too.”

Weisberg said she loves seeing the kids and seniors interact, and that it’s a great way to share across time in the Parkway.

“It’s great to bring the generations together, they learn from each other and they like seeing each other,” she said. “It’s almost like a show for the kids, and the seniors just love it. We have one woman who went to St. Theresa’s, and she said, ‘We didn’t do this when I was there!’ and she’s 83. So it really makes these kinds of events worthwhile.”