By Team Trilogy
At Forest Springs Health Campus in Louisville, Kentucky, September 19th began like most other days. Residents rose to the smell of breakfast sizzling in the kitchen, staff members swapped smiles as they hurried up and down the halls, and rain-heavy clouds gave the morning a close, cozy feeling. But just underneath Tuesday’s calm exterior, anticipation buzzed.
In the distance, the rumbling of engines shook away the morning’s quiet. In excited, chatting groups, residents and staff members poured through the front doors of the campus and into the parking lot, where a motorcycle gang unlike any they had ever seen was lined up and waving, with Trilogy Health Services’ CEO Randy Bufford grinning at the head of the pack. Trilogy’s Diabetes Awareness Tour was kicking off right on their front doorstep, and once-sleepy residents were now wide awake and readying themselves for the ride of a lifetime.
For years, Trilogy senior leaders / motorcycle enthusiasts have traveled to Trilogy communities across the Midwest to give residents rides on their bikes. This year, though, the group had a second agenda. Dubbed the Diabetes Awareness Tour, Randy and other leaders committed to traveling hundreds of miles to 14 different communities in four days in order to raise awareness of diabetes and educate staff and residents on prevention techniques and healthy lifestyle choices.
“At Trilogy, the wellbeing of our residents and employees is our top priority,” said Randy. “We’re always looking for ways to promote and invest in wellness so they can feel their best. This year, our goal for the ride was two-fold; have fun with our residents and staff by taking them on rides, and secondly, to use our time together to create awareness of diabetes through preventative screenings, promote the use of company-sponsored programs, and encourage everyone to take action by making healthy lifestyle choices. I most cases, type-2 diabetes can be reversed through diet and moderate exercise.”
After a whirlwind morning of thrilling rides around the campus, the Diabetes Awareness group took to the road once again to visit three more Trilogy communities – River Terrace Health Campus in Madison, Indiana, RidgeWood Health Campus in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and Village Green Health Campus in Greenville, Ohio. At each stop, residents and staff lined up for a chance to feel the wind whip through their hair and watch the pavement whizz by beneath their feet. In between rides, they learned about the importance of diabetes prevention, and how taking steps to live a healthy lifestyle now could ensure they continue to gather fun experiences for years to come.
Day 2 of the ride found the group jumping from Orchard Pointe Health Campus in Kendallville, Indiana to Waterford Crossing in Goshen, Indiana and Greenleaf Health Campus in Elkhart, Indiana. On Day 3, the riders zoomed from White Oak Health Campus in Monticello, Indiana to The Springs at Lafayette in Lafayette, Indiana, Mill Pond Health Campus in Greencastle, Indiana, and Hearthstone Health Campus in Bloomington, Indiana. The Diabetes Awareness Tour wrapped up on day 4 with stops at StoneBridge Health Campus in Bedford, Indiana, Scenic Hills at the Monastery in Ferdinand, Indiana, and Harrison Springs Health Campus in Corydon, Indiana.
It didn’t take long for news stations in many of the cities to get wind of what was happening at their local Trilogy senior living community, and we’re proud to share links to their stories below!