It’s been said that living at Coburg Village is like being on a cruise ship 365-days-a-year. With 287 apartments and an average of more than 330 residents, it takes a coordinated crew to keep things on course. Have you ever stopped to think of what goes on behind the scenes each day to provide Coburg Village’s extensive complement of services and amenities?

Let’s take a sneak peek at our Activities Department – A.K.A. the organizers of fun!

Each month the department creates a calendar brimming with all sorts of activities, including fitness classes, entertainment and social programs, wellness programs, spiritual enrichment and much more!

Activities Director, Tracey Kubis, has been with the department for seven years. Prior to joining Coburg Village, she worked in Parks and Recreation for the town of Wilton where she coordinated activities for both adults and children. A “kid at heart,” Tracey ran summer camps for 30 years in both Cohoes and Wilton. She credits her training to life experience and the fact that she approaches each new task with a “can-do” attitude.

When she joined Coburg Village, Tracey was blessed to have the opportunity to rebuild the department from the ground up and she put her creative skills to work.

Lorraine Wojtowicz, a former gym teacher, joined Coburg Village three years prior to Tracey. Lorraine has been instrumental in starting and expanding Coburg Village’s robust fitness offerings. What started as online video fitness classes has transformed into a daily calendar of exercise programs that enhance both the body and mind. Classes are taught by both Lorraine and fitness instructors Brian Jones and Valarie Trerise. Class offerings include balance exercise, mind fitness, water aerobics, strength training, yoga, hand exercise class, and more.

In addition to Lorraine, Tracey’s team includes activities assistants, Holly Kimble, and evening staff Lea Sopok, and Lucas Dolezel. Lea and Lucas make sure that many of the evening programs run smooth. Holly sets up our educational classes, and Tracey’s primary focus is coordinating the entertainment and movies and organizing the activities calendar. “The team meshes together really well,” remarks Tracey. Her hubby, Rick, sometimes joins in the fun for our evening game nights. 

When asked what she enjoys most about her role, Tracey says, “I really enjoy the socialization. Where else would you get paid to go to happy hour?”

The monthly Activities Calendars are planned three to four months ahead. Entertainers are usually booked six months in advance. Each month there is a selected theme which is tied to the monthly Happy Hour and Social Tea. The theme is carried through the monthly activities. For example, February’s theme was country and western Valentine, and the happy hour was appropriately named Country Lovin’ happy hour. Tracey and her team transformed our Auditorium with eclectic Valentine/cowboy décor and dressed as cowgirls. Residents were entertained with bluegrass music played by the band The Bluebillies.

Tracey works closely with Danielle, Director of Dining services, to coordinate the libations and snacks served at many of the activities. This includes the themed buffet and cocktails served at the happy hours. She provides housekeeping supervisor, Michelle Johnson, with a monthly schedule to be used for room set up.

So how does the activities department come up with new ideas? Many of the concepts for game nights such as the not-so-newlywed game, Hollywood Squares and Clue Murder Mystery are adaptations from her summer camp days. She also gets ideas from other independent living communities on the Internet. She regularly receives calls from entertainers offering their services. Tracey can gauge the success of each evening’s entertainer by the size of the audience. A few favorites of note, include Dr. Mindy from Siena’s Dudley Observatory; Broadway actor singer, Thayne Jasperson; and The Music Company Orchestra. One of the biggest challenges is finding entertainment that has appeal to the broad span of generations represented in the audience of residents.

The Activities Department organizes an average of four off-site trips per month working with transportation. There are usually two luncheon excursions and two entertainment-related activities each month. Excursions to area shopping malls are offered in the warmer weather. A few of the most popular recent excursions include the Norman Rockwell Museum and lunch at the Red Lion Inn; boat cruises on Lake George or the Erie Canal; and shows at Proctor’s and SPAC, just to name a few. Tracey, who has been a travel agent for 22 years, coordinated a resident cruise to Bermuda last fall and is planning a second cruise from Boston, to Portland, to the Canadian ports in September.

Holly oversees the annual football Pick ‘ems contest for both residents and staff. The much anticipated 18-week contest kicked off six years ago with 20 participants and has grown to 60. Each week participants complete a form with their team picks for the week. Each correct pick earns a point. Holly keeps a tally throughout the season. Winners are then recognized at a wrap up party at the end of the season.   

Coburg Village’s monthly Activities Calendars are a great resource for residents who want to embrace all Coburg Village has to offer. In addition to residents receiving a hard copy of the calendar, it is also posted on our website. Coburg Village offers so many great opportunities to stay active and fit both mentally and physically. Maybe it’s time for you to join in the fun.

You can check out this blog post and others on our website, www.coburgvillage.com.