Ingenious Woodbury Residents Create a Space of their Own

Barb Hemberger • April 17, 2024

When Bud Maraist moved into Saint Therese of Woodbury three years ago from North Carolina, he quickly saw a need for a “man cave” of sorts, for residents living in The Redwoods senior apartments community.


New to Minnesota, Bud and his wife, Diane, moved here to be close to their daughter and Bud wanted a way for men to gather like the women at the Redwoods did, to do crafts, Mahjong and the like.


“A group of us put our heads together and decided we needed to create a game room, where we can play pool, ping pong and just hang out,” said Maraist. “Everyone wanted it and anyone can use it.”

A group of seven resourceful residents – Bud, Dave Roseen, Mary Ann Hoffman, Alicia York, John Wilkinson, Joe Helkamp, and Gary Blanchard – met with Saint Therese management, received the go-ahead and found a storage room off the parking garage that suited their purposes perfectly. 


Soon Doobay Bhola, Plant Operations Manager at Woodbury, got on board and with the help of outside vendors and his internal building maintenance staff, transformed the room by cleaning it out, painting, adding carpet and installing a refrigerator.


The residents, meantime, went in search of the all-important games. Enter Alicia York who scoured the internet and found the pool table and ping pong table. She began negotiations with a seller on Facebook Marketplace for the pool table, but when he learned who they were with, he decided to donate it. They’ve also added corn hole and a dart board.


“This project started as a vision from the residents creating more social engagement within the building,” said Josh Anderson, who was the Interim Executive Director of Woodbury at the time. “It was a collaboration where many people contributed to the final outcome. It’s been a joy to see this project come together but more importantly seeing the use of the space bringing the community together!”


The game room – not a man cave – officially opened in February and it’s getting great use.

“It’s fun to have a place for family to come to, to meet and relax. It brings back memories for me of playing these games with my dad,” said Dave Roseen. “Oh, and the grandkids like it too.”

Stay Connected


Search All Posts


About

At Saint Therese, our heartfelt purpose since 1968 has been a people first approach to living well by providing senior care and services where every life we touch feels welcomed, respected, and heard. We achieve this by doing ordinary things with extraordinary love every single day. Contact us to learn more. 

By Barb Hemberger July 29, 2025
At Saint Therese of Woodbury , a unique group of residents gathers twice a year not just to sing—but to connect, inspire, and celebrate the joy of music. The Saint Therese of Woodbury Choir, the only choir across all Saint Therese communities, offers two one-hour concerts each year—one in December with a Christmas theme, and a second during the summer. This year's summer performance, held in June, was called “ Music from the Movies ” and featured beloved classics including Que Sera Sera, The Bare Necessities, Tuxedo Junction and Singin’ in the Rain. Residents and guests filled the chapel for a heartwarming program filled with nostalgia, harmony, and connection. Founded in 2018 by Therese Stecher , a lifelong pianist and retired critical care nurse, the Woodbury choir started with just 10 members and has now grown to 24 dedicated singers. “The biggest fear people have is they haven’t sung in so long, they think they can’t do it,” Stecher says. “But the muscles that control the vocal cords—you just need to work them.” Stecher arranges each songbook specifically for aging voices and emphasizes that this is not simply a singalong group. “We’re here to learn a show,” she says. “The expectations are high, but the reward is even greater.” The choir practices for months before each performance.
By Barb Hemberger July 21, 2025
Discover how the Saint Therese Auxiliary’s six-decade legacy of volunteerism and community support will live on through two lasting endowment funds.
By Barb Hemberger June 16, 2025
Generational Connections Changing Lives