TROPICAL TUESDAY

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SMILES

Smiles, smiles, and more smiles! That’s what Tropical Tuesday is all about. This weekly event began back in September 2022 when Stephanie Roselli, Director of Community Relations at The Lantern at Morning Pointe, reached out to Ted Reed, owner of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and asked if he would deliver smoothies for staff appreciation. Reed was so touched; he took it further and discussed delivering smoothies each week to the residents. Since then, Reed has been partnering with local businesses to sponsor what is now called Tropical Tuesday.

PHOTOS BY ROSS JAYNES VISUAL MEDIA CO.

PHOTOS BY ROSS JAYNES VISUAL MEDIA CO.

One of those community business partners is Salted Peace, which just happens to be around the corner from Tropical Smoothie Cafe in The Crossings Shopping Center on Main Street in Spring Hill. Co-Owners Rose Perrie and Sonia Morse got involved with Tropical Tuesday at the end of November 2022 in honor of Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month. Perrie said, “This is near and dear to my heart as my mother was diagnosed with dementia a few years ago and I remember it was the little things that made her so happy during her illness. She passed away in mid-2021 but I feel like I am honoring her memory by giving back a little joy to these amazing people at Morning Pointe. Some even remind me of my mom and that is a true blessing.”

PHOTOS BY ROSS JAYNES VISUAL MEDIA CO.

Tropical Tuesday is genuinely a group effort and reaps tremendous rewards for each volunteer. Every Tuesday of the month, after lunch, Reed’s team makes several different flavors of smoothies in smaller kid’s size cups and packs them on ice in boxes for delivery. They meet Reed up at The Lantern at Morning Pointe to help put straws in each smoothie and then have fun walking the halls asking residents which flavor of smoothie is their favorite for that day. “My mother, who lives in Indiana, has early signs of Alzheimer’s and due to the distance between us, I can’t really do much for her, but this is my way to show some love to that community,” Reed said. The amazing team at The Lantern walks with the volunteers and directs the entire process to make sure no resident is forgotten. Afterward, they proceed to the Morning Pointe Assisted Living facility next door and start the whole process over again for those residents.

On a recent Tropical Tuesday, Perrie and Morse spent a few hours at The Lantern at Morning Pointe Memory Care facility and Morning Pointe Assisted Living facility passing out smoothies to the residents with Reed. “This is the best experience,” said Perrie. “The way their faces light up for these smoothies brings joy to our hearts.” Morse chimed in, “You can see the excitement in their eyes, it is just so great.”

Morse and Perrie plan on sponsoring Tropical Tuesday bi-monthly in 2023 and want to get their employees involved so they can experience it too. Morse said, “It’s really nice to take a step out of your everyday routine to just put a smile on someone’s face, even if it is just for a smoothie. This is such a small price to pay for the amount of joy it brings.”

From left: Ted Reed, Sonia Morse, Tracy Williams, and Rose Perrie.

PHOTOS BY ROSS JAYNES VISUAL MEDIA CO.

To help keep the momentum going, Morse and Perrie hope other local business owners will get involved in Tropical Tuesday. To be a part of this worthy event, contact Ted Reed at Tropical Smoothie Cafe at (931) 451-7899 and sponsor a Tropical Tuesday for Morning Pointe. Perrie concluded, “Once you experience it, you will understand what we are talking about, it is all about the smiles.”

SALTED PEACE DAY SPA in Spring Hill features massages, facials, salt therapy, an infrared sauna, and sound therapy. TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE, just around the corner from Salted Peace, was born on the beach and serves smoothies, wraps, flatbreads, and sandwiches. Follow them on social media at @saltedpeace and @tropicalsmoothiespringhilltn