On Valentine’s Day at a Surrey retirement home, Venketamma Panchaliya was showered with love and kindness during her 100th birthday party with family, peers and politicians.
The Tuesday gathering (Feb. 14) was hosted by Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) at its assisted-living facility on 120A Street in Newton.
“It’s not every day that our community gets to celebrate the birthday of a centenarian,” PICS said in an email that included photos of the party, with cake, balloons, flowers and gifts.
Panchaliya has lived at the complex for 10 years.
“She was excited to share her story with PICS staff members and (Surrey) Mayor Brenda Locke, who was also in attendance for the cake-cutting ceremony,” the email noted.
Celebrating a centenarian’s birthday is “phenomenal,” the mayor said, “and I hope I get to come and celebrate all of your birthdays. Reaching 100 years of age does not happen without having good care.”
Satbir Singh Cheema, PICS president and CEO, said the celebration is “proof that our seniors are being provided excellent care” by staff and management team led by Inderjeet Hundal and Rajeev Mohindru.
“It is no wonder that this facility has been ranked number-one in the region consistently by a survey undertaken by the health authorities,” Cheema said. “You may recall that last year we also had the privilege to celebrate not one but three centenarian birthdays. This could not have been accomplished without the state-of-the-art care which PICS Assisted Living provides.”
Cheema also urged Locke to help expedite the approval process for PICS’ Guru Nanak Diversity Village, a 125-bed long-term care facility the organization plans to build in Cloverdale. Cheema said the building permit application has been submitted to the city planning department.
PICS says Guru Nanak Diversity Village will be a “revolutionary” facility located near the corner of 64 Avenue and 176 Street. The project aims to give seniors “culturally sensitive care services” in a three-storey structure.
• READ MORE: A wing of Gill’s ‘dream project’ with PICS to bear his name in Cloverdale.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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