RoseVilla Senior Living champions Alzheimer’s awareness through fundraising, Alzheimer’s Awareness Walks, and Promise Gardens that build community resiliency.
At RoseVilla, a nonprofit, single-site Continuing Care & Retirement Community (CCRC), Alzheimer’s awareness is a commitment rooted in compassion and resiliency. Recognizing how Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia affect so many, our community comes together every year to raise funds for research and to create meaningful traditions that strengthen community connections, honor those affected, and encourage resiliency.
RoseVilla Residents and Team Members participated in two annual events this month in support of Alzheimer’s awareness and research. The first event took place on campus with the RoseVilla Alzheimer’s Awareness Walk. The event, held Oct. 10, began with a ceremony at the Promise Garden, located inside the Tranquility Garden, and included a walk around campus. At the second event, the RoseVilla Senior Living Team participated in Portland Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The annual event was held on Oct. 11 this year at the Oregon Zoo.
The RoseVilla Alzheimer’s Awareness Walk: A Tradition of Resilience
Each fall, RoseVilla Residents, Team Members, families, and friends gather at the Promise Garden for the on-campus Alzheimer’s Awareness Walk. Carrying symbolic Alzheimer’s Walk flowers, participants honor loved ones, celebrate caregivers, and build community resiliency. More than 40 Residents and Team Members joined the walk this year. The walk concluded with RoseVilla’s weekly “Pour at Four,” providing an opportunity for reflection, connection, and community.
Residents and Team Members Support Portland’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s
RoseVilla Residents and Team Members proudly participated in Portland’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, one of the nation’s largest events dedicated to Alzheimer’s awareness and fundraising. This year’s RoseVilla Senior Living Team included 25 Residents and Team Members.
With nearly 100 donations recorded on the RoseVilla Senior Living Team Page, RoseVilla was the top corporate sponsor, raising more than $17,000 from 125 unique donations for the event. All funds raised go to the Alzheimer’s Association to advance research for the prevention, treatment, and cure of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Each RoseVilla Senior Living Team sponsor receives an Alzheimer’s Walk flower, planted in the Promise Garden.
Resident-Led Alzheimer’s Awareness Efforts
Leading the Alzheimer’s awareness efforts are team co-captains Kate Dins and Don Lehman, RoseVilla Residents who are deeply connected to the cause. Dins has been on the Alzheimer’s Awareness Team since 2018. She emphasized how Alzheimer’s effects everyone in a close-knit community such as RoseVilla. “All of us have been impacted by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia,” she said. “Living in a small community like RoseVilla, we see firsthand the impact these diseases have on our neighbors and friends. We walk to honor those who are living with dementia, remember those we’ve lost, and to support the caregivers.”
Lehman, who took on the role of co-captain this year, shared his own story of recently losing a dear friend of nearly 50 years to Alzheimer’s. For him, the Alzheimer’s awareness flowers have a deeply personal meaning. “The sign and all the Walk to End Alzheimer’s flowers are a beautiful visual reminder to our community of our commitment to end these terrible diseases,” he said. Together, their stories reflect RoseVilla’s commitment to support those affected by Alzheimer’s.
The Promise Garden: A Testament to Resiliency
The Promise Garden is a powerful example of RoseVilla’s commitment to building community resiliency. Designed as a sanctuary of remembrance and hope, the Promise Garden honors RoseVilla community members and loved ones who are living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, those who have passed, and the caregivers who walk beside them. Each flower represents a promise to never forget, to continue advocating, and to encourage resiliency even in times of hardship.
The Symbolism of the Promise Garden
The Promise Garden remains at the heart of RoseVilla’s Alzheimer’s awareness efforts. Each flower color in the Promise Garden tells a story:
- Blue flowers: Represent people currently living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
- Yellow flowers: Represent people supporting and caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
- Purple flowers: Represent those we have lost to the disease and remember with love.
- Orange flowers: Represent the collective hope for a future without Alzheimer’s.
The Promise Garden is a living symbol of remembrance and resiliency.
Looking Toward the Future with Hope
Each year, as Residents and Team Members plan, prepare, and participate in the Alzheimer’s awareness walks, RoseVilla stands strong in our commitment to raising Alzheimer’s awareness and building resiliency. Each step, each flower planted, and each donation is a promise that RoseVilla will continue to fight for progress, research, and support.
At RoseVilla, resilient senior living means facing challenges with courage, honoring the past, and building a hopeful future together. Residents and Team Members have united around Alzheimer’s awareness and research, establishing a tradition of compassion and support. Learn more about RoseVilla’s commitment to purposeful and resilient senior living.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What are the RoseVilla Alzheimer’s Awareness Walk and Portland’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s?
The RoseVilla Alzheimer’s Awareness Walk is an annual event held on-campus at RoseVilla Senior Living, 13505 SE River Road, Portland, Oregon. Portland’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s is held annually at the Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road, Portland, Oregon. The goal of both events is to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s and other dementias. - What is the RoseVilla Promise Garden?
The Promise Garden is a meaningful tradition initiated by the Alzheimer’s Association and adopted at RoseVilla. Residents, Team Members, families, and friends plant symbolic flowers representing resilience, remembrance, and hope. - How can I support RoseVilla’s Alzheimer’s awareness efforts?
You can donate directly through the RoseVilla Senior Living Team Page to the Portland Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Every gift helps advance the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association by funding critical research toward prevention, treatment, and a cure, as well as providing education, care, and support programs for individuals and caregivers impacted by the disease. - What does resilience mean at RoseVilla Senior Living?
RoseVilla is a leader in resiliency and sustainability. RoseVilla uses the power of community to adapt to challenges, drawing strength from our Residents and Team Members. Through community initiatives like Alzheimer’s Awareness, sustainability, intergenerational learning, and everyday acts of compassion, RoseVilla is building a better world for future generations.