Joe Parison, who lives at Penn Mar Plaza in Mars, enjoys the results of residents’ decorating contest for the Fourth of July. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

MARS — Patriotic celebration is in the air for residents of the Penn Mar Plaza senior apartment building in Mars.

Each floor of the building spent the last several days working on decorations, gathering candy and goodies, and stringing up colorful red, white, and blue flags across the halls of the apartment complex to celebrate the Fourth of July.

The individual floors’ efforts will be judged on Saturday by Mars Mayor Gregg Hartung, and the winning floor will receive a pizza party, said resident Dona Weber, who helped organize the project with service coordinator Diana Cook.

“A month or so ago, we decided to celebrate the Fourth of July and get everyone involved,” Weber said.

Penn Mar Plaza resident Lawrene Zurich sits Tuesday among Fourth of July decorations on the second floor of the apartment building in Mars. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

The apartment resident and service coordinators have come up with various ideas to brighten up the everyday lives of the residents, Cook said.

“People have lived in other places, and they come back, and they say, well, when we lived in so-and-so, we did this and that, and we get ideas from it,” Cook said.

The decoration event is also a chance for residents to socialize after two years of varying COVID-19 pandemic safety precautions, Weber added.

“You didn’t mingle in the hallways at all, you just stayed in your apartments (during the earlier parts of the pandemic),” she said. “It was just totally shut down. Now, we finally feel that we can come alive.”

Lois Tomi, who resides on the third floor of Penn Mar Plaza in Mars, enjoys the result the Fourth of July decorating contest. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

Residents were excited to show off their decorations and spend time talking together in the halls and common areas outside their apartments. One floor laid out an entire picnic display, complete with food and a plastic grasshopper. Other floors played patriotic music from a CD and arranged flags on furniture.

Resident Agnes Boyle shared some brownies with family and friends when she and her daughter came in to help arrange decorations. Her floor’s decorations feature a giant teddy bear dressed up in flag-themed clothes.

“We’re slowly getting back into all of our activities, and I think we’ve all missed them more than anything,” resident Pat Nist said.

Penn Mar Plaza resident Ray Farringer was recognized for his service on an Adams Township veterans memorial banner. Farringer served in World War II in the Army Air Corps.

Penn Mar Plaza resident Ray Farringer will celebrate his 99th birthday on Saturday. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

The judging on Saturday will coincide with another exciting event for one resident, Ray Farringer. Saturday will be Farringer’s 99th birthday.

Farringer’s daughter recently purchased a memorial banner for Farringer, who served in World War II in the Army Air Corps. The banner now hangs in the Adams Township Park.

“I’m looking forward to the next year,” Farringer said, referring to his even bigger 100th birthday milestone coming up.

Resident Rita Jones sits Tuesday among the Fourth of July decorations at Penn Mar Plaza, Mars. The senior living apartment building held a competition among eight floors. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle