Troy Health and Rehabilitation Center will celebrate 43 years of service to the community at 2 p.m. Sunday and the public is invited.

“Everyone is encouraged to join us for Troy Health and Rehab’s anniversary celebration on Sunday,” said Jeanette Dawkins, TH&R activities director. “We’ll have food, games and lots of fun.”

Dawkins said the residents always enjoy having visitors around.

“Some of the residents like to play the games but most of them just enjoy watching others play, especially the children,” Dawkins said. “We’ll have several different kinds of games with prizes, so the games will be exciting and fun.

“Refreshments will include cotton candy and snow cones that the children especially enjoy and hotdogs and chips for everyone, and we’ll have a birthday cake and ice cream. We want to celebrate our 43rd anniversary in a big way.”

Celebration events are not new to TH&R.

“We have large events quarterly and the public is always invited,” Dawkins said. “These events are ways to remind the community that our residents are here. The residents come away for these events with a positive attitude because they know that the community has not forgotten them.”

Some residents don’t have family living nearby and, therefore, the events are very special to them, Dawkins said.

A Fourth of July parade is being planned as a new event, although it won’t be a “big” event this year.

“Hospice Advantage and TH&R will sponsor the Fourth of July parade which will follow a route “up and down” the halls of the facility at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 28.

“We invite friends of the residents to dress in red, white and blue and parade with us,” Dawkins said.

Because the parade will be along the hallways, it is not a recommended event for young children.

Troy Health and Rehabilitation Center opened its doors on June 10, 1969 with 50 beds and over the years there have been many improvements and expansions.

“Troy Health and Rehab has grown to a 234 bed capacity with a specialized unit for Alzheimer’s,” Dawkins said. “We strive to make Troy Health and Rehab the leading long-term facility in the state.”