Several months ago, our team began planning a hybrid event building on the success of last year’s progressive breakfast. With COVID protocols, we decided to have a drive-through style breakfast with the theme of Cruise-in Through the Years, where we would provide delicious pre-packaged foods from some outstanding local vendors. Participants would top at Evergreen Place Assisted Living in Normal for a fresh-baked scone from Grove Street Bakery. Then, they would make their way to Heritage Health in Normal to receive a fresh fruit cup. Their final stop would be Adelaide Independent Living for a delicious cup of orange juice.
The plan was to dress in costume – carhops for the 1950s at Evergreen Place, 1960s flower children at Heritage Health, and 1970s hippies at Adelaide. Each stop would feature music and decorations from the era, while each participant would receive a goody bag of promotional materials from each location. Nine goody bags had a special sticker inside, indicating that they had won a beautiful fall mum from the Faith in Action fundraiser.
But as you know, we’re holding our plans loosely these days. And in the wake of this pandemic, we decided the most important thing was the safety of our residents. So we purchased gift cards to Shannon’s Five Star restaurant and delivered the goody bags to the homes of those who had called to RSVP. We are so thankful for our caring and understanding participants who were so supportive of our change in plans!
We made our deliveries in person, maintaining social distance, and wearing our masks. Some of the folks were watching for us, and we had an opportunity to say hello at a safe distance. By noon on the day of the event, six of our winners had called to claim their prizes.
If you have any questions about our lovely communities, our staff members will be happy to answer them during this call. We’re also excited to announce that those who schedule a virtual visit of Evergreen Place within the next two weeks will be entered to win an additional gift card!
One thing we have all learned during this season is to remain flexible and stretch our creativity to reach out to the community. We make it our goal always to keep a positive attitude when disappointments come. Our dedicated team is resilient no matter what, and we look forward to more fun events in the future!
Are you interested in learning more about the assisted or supportive living, skilled nursing care, or independent living options available in the Bloomington-Normal area? Feel free to reach out!
Adelaide Independent Living & Heritage Health Normal – 309-452-7468
Evergreen Place Assisted Living – 309-451-9355
