Tulsa Senior Living Center Holds Fourth Of July Parade

A Tulsa senior living center kicked off the holiday weekend with a patriotic parade on Friday. For many, this event meant even more than celebrating Independence Day.

Residents, staff members, and families decked out for the Fourth of July Parade with golf carts, Jeeps, convertibles, and outfits. This year, they're celebrating two different meanings of freedom: freedom in our country and freedom from the pandemic.

“It just makes you happy as you can be,” Graham said.

For veterans like Lee Graham, the value of freedom is a firsthand experience. The 93-year-old served in World War II as an Army prison guard in Japan.

"And I spent my time in what they call Sugamo Prison,” Graham said.

He says it's where they housed the top war criminals. So when he thinks about what this holiday means to him, it's emotional.

"It's great to be alive here in America,” Graham said.

When the pandemic started last March, Trinity Woods Senior Living Center was locked down for three months. Until all the residents got the vaccine, they couldn't have events like this without masks and social distancing.

But at Friday’s parade, everyone was together again. Mr. Graham was surrounded by his family.

"You can't imagine how great it is,” Graham said.

Stella Schwartz doesn't have a family who lives in Tulsa.

In the heat of the pandemic, she connected with loved ones on the phone, so being in person is special.

"We can actually sit close to each other and visit,” Schwartz said.

The parade displayed a sea of red, white and blue, and gratitude.

"Knowing that we are free in America and it's just like when we were on lockdown, but we were still safe,” Schwartz said.

"It means a great deal to see other people enjoy it also,” Graham said.

The Fourth of July celebrations at Trinity Woods will continue throughout the weekend.