Elderberries celebrate 13th anniversary

On Wednesday Oct. 2, Elderberry seniors  gathered for 6:30 a.m. Mass celebrated by Pastor Kendal Faulk.  to begin the celebration of the group’s 13th anniversary.
Following Mass they went for breakfast in the St. Joseph Parish Center prepared by Carol and Helen Menard. Father led everyone in saying the grace before meals.
While enjoying their meal they viewed a DVD of a Branson Show. At 9 a.m. they boarded the Calco bus driven by Lawrence Minix, a frequent driver for the group and a Rayne resident.
Their first destination was the Louisiana Spirits in Lacassine, home of Bayou Rum.  The owner and co founder Trey Litel greeted and welcomed everyone as the bus arrived. He gave the recognition that the Elderberries were the first tour group to visit their facility.
On the tour Litel said that most of the rum had been produced in the Caribbean.  With the largest production of the sugar cane in Louisiana they conceived the possibility of producing rum here in Louisiana and after the first realization of that fact to the present day seven years has passed.  They assembled the people best in the fields of blending, production and marketing of alcoholic beverage, thus Bayou Rum was born.  The name seemed very appropriate as Louisiana is known as the Bayou state.
The tour then entered the tasting area where a sample of the rum was offered.
Boarding the bus for a short distance to the Vanity Fair Mall in Iowa for a shopping spree.  
The group then traveled to the Regatta Restaurant in Lake Arthur. Owned by local entrepreneurs Greg and Tressa Trahan, Regatta was inspired by their memories of past good times on Lake Arthur and built for the betterment of the community. Lunch was served with the view of the scenic lake in a beautiful building with a mural of the first restaurant on that site, the Wave Café. The group enjoyed the leisure meal time while visiting with the owners and their staff. On the drive back to Rayne they had prizes for the lucky ticket holders in observances of the anniversary celebration.  Making the trip were Gercie Daigle, Carol and Helen Menard, Gloria Boudreaux, Melba Daigle, Jack and Grace Guidry, Elaine Myers, Ella Mae Foreman, Dolores Thibodeaux, Lou St. Germain, Janice Berchman, Milton Mire, Stanley Lapointe, Donald Faulk, Joyce Lyons, Patsy Chiasson, Hilda Chiasson, Betty Perrodin, Mike Guidry, Leo and Leatrice Trahan,  Mayo and Doris Trahan, Ricks and Barbara, Betty Granger, Elsie  Besse, Marie Broussard, Hilda Simoneaux, Lynn Guidry, Pam Harmon, Nadine LeJeune, Barbara Gossen, Louise Richard, Shirley Oliver, Harry Domingue, Wade Rayon, Dalfred and Joyce Alleman, Zebada Elials, Willie and Jeanette Leger.