Virginia Sakers, a resident of Renaissance Senior Home in Northampton, celebrated her 100th birthday Feb. 16.

Born in 1923, she was married 50 years to the late Robert Sakers. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.

Virginia and her husband enjoyed going out dancing, she said. Her favorite dance music was American and Latin. She was named the jitterbug queen in Avalon, N.J., during World War II.

More recently, Virginia was voted the 2023 Renaissance Senior Home Valentine’s Day queen during a Feb. 14 event.

She loves cats and had a cat named Whiskers when she moved to Renaissance seven years ago.

She loved to cook, and her favorite dish is shrimp scampi.

Virginia was a service clerk for the Penn National Life Insurance Company.

She attributes her longevity to her personal long-standing happiness, dancing and eating healthy foods.

At the celebration, her daughter and grandson said her longevity was due to her love of eating raw oysters and enjoying a drink called a Bahama Mama.

A Bahama Mama combines crushed ice, orange juice, regular rum, coconut-flavored rum and grenadine in a blender.

Virginia had a fun birthday party with her daughter, Dale Erdosy of Florida, and her grandson, Mike Erdosy, as well as her friends at Renaissance, located on 10th Street. There was cake, food, refreshments and fellowship for attendees at the party.

Northampton Mayor Anthony Pristash declared via proclamation that Feb. 16 was Virginia Sakers Day in the borough.