Community Matters Fall 2025 - Magazine - Page 6
LAKEWOOD
Flipping the Script on Senior
Living: Lakewood Celebrates
Active Aging Week
Active Aging Week, held October 6–12, kicked off at
Lakewood with residents and team members climbing,
literally, to new heights. Twenty-four feet above the
parking lot, resident Sheila Wheeler reached the top
of an on-site climbing wall during The Ageless Ascent,
Lakewood’s high-energy opening event.
“I’ve never climbed before,” Sheila said. “But I wanted the
challenge.”
The Ageless Ascent was one of many activities
designed to challenge stereotypes of what senior living
looks like. Throughout the week, residents and team
members explored creativity through hands-on art
programs and gained new perspectives during an
intergenerational panel.
The week brought imagination to life through
two mystery-theater events: the Masquerade Tea,
complete with intrigue, decadent treats, and afternoon
performances, and the evening production Masquerade
at The Cascades, where actors and unexpected twists kept
everyone guessing until the final reveal.
Residents also took on a digital challenge by rehearsing
and filming a dance for TikTok, and they collected
scavenger hunt clues from each of the week’s activities,
with some clues posted on Facebook.
One event, 20 Miles, Zero Limits, brought together
residents and team members for a bike ride along
the Virginia Capital Trail, where Lakewood cyclists
met up with participants from The Chesapeake for
lunch in Charles City. Later in the week, resident Joe
Kent completed Joe’s Big Pedal, a 62-mile ride around
Lakewood’s campus to raise awareness and funds for
Alzheimer’s research. Residents also trained for months
in order to participate in an overnight hiking trip to the
Peaks of Otter.
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Reflecting on the spirit behind the week, Community
Outreach Liaison Sally San Soucie shared, “We tell people
all the time what a vibrant place Lakewood is. Our residents
come here and begin a whole new chapter of their lives,
having more fun than they imagined was possible.”
The week concluded with the Parade of Hope to End
Alzheimer’s, which raised awareness and introduced
Lucky Duck, Lakewood’s new mascot. Later that evening,
at the Flip the Script Block Party, Lucky had a line of
residents waiting to dance with him as music, food, and
classic carnival games closed out the week. From start to
finish, Active Aging Week took movement, creativity, and
living well to new levels, showcasing what it means to age
well at Lakewood.
