In 2023 Dallas Retirement Village joined the Salem, Oregon Walk to End Alzheimer’s for the very first time, sponsoring the pet area. At the September Walk staff and residents made sure furry friends had plenty of fresh water, offered “pet selfies” and handed out purple tie-dyed pet bandanas and resident’s homemade “dog pops” crafted out of Greek yogurt, honey, bananas, and peanut butter with a dog biscuit center. It was so much fun!!

     Dallas Retirement Village Staff initially set a team fundraising goal of $2,000 and began their fundraising efforts in July, but quickly met their goal when local business partners kindly donated business swag and gift cards for the annual Dallas Retirement Village Country Fair. So, why not double it? Just after the walk on September 16th, Dallas Retirement Village surpassed the fundraising goal of $4,000. Aside from the puppy slobbers, comradery, diversity, tears, and laughter – the best part of the day just might have been when 90-year-old Dallas Retirement resident MaryAnn made the nearly 2-mile walk…just to support the cause. Her milestone so appropriately captured in the professional photos of the walk – all our hearts were full that day.

     Staff and residents are looking forward to the 2024 walk and can't wait to make more memories together. This year the fundraising goal is set at $5k!

     Outside the “fun & games", Dallas Retirement Village takes to heart the aging of seniors, utilizing Heartfelt Connections, a nationally recognized memory care program. The program’s name came about from a comment by actress Diane Keaton whose mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Her son had asked why they still visited his grandmother since she could not remember their visits. He specifically asked, "What is a memory?” Diane’s poignant response was “It’s a picture you take with your heart.” And Heartfelt Connections was born.

     The purpose of the program is to better serve those residents living with dementia who reside in senior living communities across the United States. This program aligns directly with the Life Care Services vision to “Create opportunities for purposeful living filled with rich experiences.” Heartfelt Connections also supports the goal of creating the best possible experience for residents living at Dallas Retirement Village with dementia, as well as their families.