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OPPrairiedaily.com life & arts
the orland park prairie | October 10, 2019 | 21
Love and laughs highlight Orland Township’s Senior Dating Game
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
6
Whether subscribing to
the idea that opposites attract
or seeking a soulmate
with similar interests, local
bachelors and bachelorettes
put their hearts
on the line during Orland
Township’s annual Senior
Dating Game.
The event, held at Orland
Chateau on Thursday,
Oct. 3, offered fun for
contestants and audience
members alike, as each
bachelor asked three bachelorettes
a series of often
humorous questions to see
who would win his heart.
Before the show, patrons
enjoyed pizza, salads and
desserts. Raffles also added
to the excitement.
Marie Ryan, Orland
Township’s Senior Services
coordinator, enjoyed
seeing audience members
and contestants share a
laugh during the fun-filled
evening.
“I love this, because it
brings laughter to everybody,”
Ryan said. “You
can hear the laughter.
Everyone needs to laugh
more, and this fits the bill.
It’s so much fun.”
Ryan noted that love
connections have been
made through past Senior
Dating Game events, and
she was hopeful that this
year also would lead to
contestants being struck
by Cupid’s arrow, as many
of them expressed shared
values during a casting
call which was held back
in August.
“When we did the audition,
everybody wanted
somebody honest, loyal
and funny — the men and
the women — so that was
unique,” Ryan said. “They
all had that in common.”
The game unfolded in
Returning Senior Dating Game contestant Sue
Ackmann, of Orland Park, waves to the crowd after she
takes the stage.
four rounds with Tom
Cunningham, Roy Vanoffelen,
Art Stein and Mike
Mallon as the bachelors,
and Geri Burek, Karen
Fishella, Susan Egan, Deb
Tanzer, Barbara Parisi, Sue
Ackmann, Jeanette Fox,
Carolyn Charz, Annette
Linn, Denise Ziemba, Susan
Valentino and Mary
Bruhn as the bachelorettes.
The bachelors — who
could not see the bachelorettes
seated on the other
side of a curtain — asked
such questions as, “What
condiment best describes
your personality,” “What
makes you laugh” and
“What is your favorite
song by Elvis Presley.”
Ziemba, a Palos Hills
resident, was hoping that
her humor would help her
win the big date, as that is
“just how she rolls.”
When asked what she
is looking for in a man,
she responded, “That’s
the million-dollar question.
Just somebody who’s
loving, caring, nice, trustworthy,
fun — what everybody
wants.”
Mallon also showcased
his personality during the
competition by dressing
up as Cliff Booth (Brad
Pitt) from the film “Once
Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
“With Halloween coming
up, and this is supposed
to be a fun event,
instead of the same old suit
that everybody else wears
I wanted to do something
different,” said Mallon,
who also brought a squirt
gun as a prop. “This is going
to be fun.”
In the end, Mallon and
Ziemba proved to be a
match during Round 4,
and Cunningham and Burek,
Vanoffelen and Parisi,
and Stein and Charz were
Roy Vanoffelen, of Dyer, Indiana, gets down on one knee to present Barbara Parisi, of
Tinley Park, with a bouquet on Thursday, Oct. 3, as Bill Brady watches during Orland
Township’s Senior Dating Game. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
Mike Mallon, of Hickory Hills, impersonates Cliff Booth from the film “Once Upon a
Time in Hollywood” before his Senior Dating Game round.
paired at the end of earlier
rounds.
The winning couples
will all travel by limousine
to Frankie’s Ristorante
later this month for a date
that also will include dancing
or other entertainment.
Orland Township Supervisor
Paul O’Grady said he
loves how the annual Senior
Dating Game brings everyone
together for a night
of good fun, while raising
money for scholarships for
local high school seniors.
“I think it’s a natural
extension of our community
events for our
seniors for them to get
together and make some
love connections, hopefully,”
O’Grady said.
“It’s a huge hit. It’s very
entertaining, and the people
really enjoy it. I want
to also thank our community
and all the sponsors
who really give to make
these events possible.
The event benefits the
Orland Township Scholarship
Foundation, which
finds seniors paying it
backward and forward to
the next generation, and I
love that.”
Orland Township Senior
Services is to continue the
fun with its annual Dancing
with the Senior Stars
event on Thursday, Nov.
14, at Georgios Banquets.
More information about
upcoming events and
services can be found at
www.orlandtownship.org/
seniors.