From left, caterer Carol Sanders chats with SAIL member Marellen Aherne, who is dressed as a hippy, at Friday night’s celebration in Morgan’s Grove Park. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — For one local organization, reaching its 10-year anniversary was no easy feat. Especially not, considering the resilience of similar organizations in the state of West Virginia.

“Do you know how many villages [in the Village-to-Vilage Movement] in D.C.? Fourteen. And here we are, out here in wonderful Shepherdstown!” cheered Shepherdstown Area Independent Living founding member Jack Young, during the village-like organization’s 10th anniversary celebration at Morgan’s Grove Park on Friday night.

While the Village-to-Village Movement’s first village in West Virginia was SAIL, it was soon after joined by one on the other side of the state, in Charleston. But now, Shepherdstown’s village is the only one remaining — and flourishing — in the state.

“We had 180 people who said they thought this was a really good idea, but we started off with 14! [Regardless of that fact], we just went ahead and did it. We did not have enough money, but it worked!” said SAIL founding member Vicky Thomas, regarding surveys conducted before SAIL was officially founded, during the Recognition of Founders portion of the evening.

According to Thomas and her fellow founding member, Jack Young, a number of the founding members of SAIL met by accident at one of the first major Village-to-Village informational events in the country, conducted by the Beacon Hill Village in Washington, D.C., even though they were already familiar with each other as Shepherdstown residents.

SAIL founding member Jean Neely, right, chats with Catherine Irwin in Morgan’s Grove Park’s pavilion on Friday night. Tabitha Johnston

“An initial conference about villages was started by Beacon Hill Village in 2003, that led to a national conference in Washington, D.C. The people that Vicky mentioned, heard there was going to be this conference and they went, and it was very surprising [when they saw each other]!” Young said, mentioning the group then took the next step towards founding a village, by purchasing a $365 informational binder from Beacon Hill Village.

“That was the beginning of the time-and-again meetings here in Shepherdstown. We decided we’re already a village — why don’t we take advantage of that? We did, and that was the beginning of this village,” Young said. “It was the first one in West Virginia. There was subsequently one in Charleston that I think has since dissolved, so we’re the only one in West Virginia. We started out with 14 members, and we’re up now at, I think, 130! It’s a wonderful program, as I’m sure each of you will attest.”

According to SAIL President Marianne Alexander, who came to the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s-themed event dressed to impress in a sailor costume, as her father served in the Navy, SAIL’s 10th Anniversary Committee decided to focus on the anniversary commemoration being a celebration. Because of this, the party featured a picnic food dinner catered by Carol Sanders; a period clothing costume contest; dancing to ’50s, ’60s and ’70s music by D&M DJ Service and limited speeches. Instead of speaking for a long period of time, Alexander instead decided to lead in a cheer of “Hip hip hooray!”

“Party on!” Alexander encouraged her fellow celebrants.

SAIL is a nonprofit membership organization located in the Shepherdstown area that strives to help seniors stay in their homes as long as possible and engaged in their community. SAIL is part of the Village-to-Village Movement — a burgeoning, worldwide movement that champions an alternative approach for adults as they grow older. To learn more, visit sail.clubexpress.com.

SAIL founding members Vicky Thomas, left, and Jack Young lead SAIL’s Recognition of Founders on Friday night, at the organization’s 10th anniversary celebration in Morgan’s Grove Park. Tabitha Johnston

The ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s Costume Contest winners stand behind the contest judges, from left: Maryellen Aherne, Linda Kato and Maylene Reisbig. Judges Jack Young, front right, and Helen Burns, presented each of the winners with a potted plant, following their deliberation on Friday night. Tabitha Johnston

SAIL members dance to music from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s in the Morgan’s Grove Park pavilion on Friday night. Tabitha Johnston