Tyler senior citizens get special Valentine’s surprise

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Residents at The Hamptons Senior Living in Tyler have special Valentines this year.

First grade students from Grace Community School sang Valentine’s Day-themed songs and read books to the residents.

“I love it; it’s inspiring to us. We need this,” resident and former teacher Thelma Ruth Childs said. “We think it’s wonderful. We try to remember when we had children like this.”

Singing to the seniors has been a tradition for four years for Valentine’s Day and Thanksgiving. This is the first year the students read to the seniors.

“You love to see them learn; you love to see them scripture,” Childs said. “It’s amazing to see these children, what they can do, what they can remember, and how they can jump up and down when they’re supposed to.”

For student Rylie Volt, “I loved coming to visit a friend at the Hampton’s. It’s a really good time when we come and visit them.”

Before the students arrived, a barbershop quartet also sang an impromptu performance for the crowd. The quartet was assigned to sing to a resident, but when they saw the crowd, they stopped to sing two songs for everyone.

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