The pouring of punch and the blowing up of balloons helped to get the party started at the community center at the Rochester Highlands apartment complex Friday evening. This occasion was meant for seniors, but all were welcome.
“I'm not going to turn nobody down. So, if the kids want to eat, they're come here and eat too,” said Robin Arnold, the organizer of the event.
Once the party started, a couple people arrived for the fun. But this was not your typical get-together. Arnold was celebrating her 50th birthday. And she decided to celebrate by giving the seniors in the Rochester Highlands apartment complex a meal.
In 2011, Arnold's son Raymond was killed by a drunk driver in the Rochester Highlands neighborhood. She received insurance money from the crash, but wanted to use that money to help people.
“My kid’s life is worth more to me than a dollar. So, I don't want to accept the monetary value of his life. I refuse to let somebody put a monetary value on his life,” said Arnold.
“It's pretty darn nice of her to come over here and have it for the seniors and not just for them. It was her birthday, wasn't it?” said Lucille Good, a resident of the complex.