Allan Appel Photo
With two of last year’s three kings on vacation in Puerto Rico, Casa Otonal called on a couple of rookie monarchs including Celestino Cordoba to play the part in an annual Three Kings Day celebration in the Hill.
After some tonsorial help with his beard from Eneida Arroyo (at left in photo), Cordoba (at right) happily transformed into Balthazar and presided with two other volunteer majesties over the 12th annual El Dia De Los Tres Magos at the Sylvan Avenue elderly complex.
The Thursday afternoon event drew 100 kids and their families to Casa, where the gift-giveaway extravaganza echoed the three kings’ presentations of their gifts to the Christ Child in the New Testament story.
One wonders what the Baby Jesus might have done with Colossal Stunt World, which King Gaspar, also known as Tom Davis and also a rookie king, gave to Angel Vega. The 7‑year-old knew just what he was going to do with it. With his school, Bishop Woods, closed for Three Kings Day, he said he was headed straight home to set up the race car tracks of his new Stunt World.
Like Cordoba, Davis works as a counselor for the Agency on the Aging of South Central Connecticut located at One Long Wharf.
Many of the gifts this year seemed to be larger than the children receiving them. Joshua Lopez happily received a “Top Tune Comeback Ford Truck,” in other words, a musical SUV.
Like almost all the hundred kids, Joshua also received a second gift.
The bounty of toys, books, stuffed animals, and sports equipment was collected this year as in the past through the United States Marines Toys for Tots program.
Linda Kantor, interim director and vice chair of Casa Otonal, Inc.’s board, said that when the kids left, grandparents from Casa Familia — another Casa facility nearby — would be coming down and choosing toys for their grandchildren. Those items not taken will be stored and given away at Casa’s Valentines Day event.
Volunteers from several agencies including Continuum Home Health, Inc and Neighborhood Housing Services were also on hand. They were there not only to help with the distribution of gifts to the kids but also to make the day, generally focused on children, meaningful for older folks.
“You need to celebrate the elders, not just the children,” said Bev Kidder (pictured with Balthazar) of the Agency on Aging.
So in addition to the gift giving, the volunteers put on a brief and boisterous parranda, a surprise parade of enthusiastic caroling in Spanish that launched the afternoon’s festivities and got some Casa residents off their folding chairs.
Kantor has run Casa since the departure of Casa’s longtime director Pat McCann-Vissepo a year ago.
As a search continues for a new executive director, Winn Residential Management continues to manage the main residence, which has 104 units and 239 residents.
That company also manages the housing authority’s developments at Monterey Place, Quinnipiac Terrace, among other properties in town.
Kantor added that Winn will also take over the management of Casa Familia, another Casa facility across Sylvan Avenue, where 35 grandparents with sole custody of their grandchildren make their home.
Winn has handled the residential aspect, while Kantor and her board and volunteers have been in charge of programming.