From the Harlem Shake to 106th Birthday Celebrations

Heritage Woods of Sterling became part of the Harlem Shake dance craze, with nearly 40 residents and staff of the affordable assisted living community participating in the making of a video that was posted on YouTube. The video has generated more than 13,500 views. (Video below)

The Heritage Woodsmen, the resident Wii bowling team from Heritage Woods of Charleston, took home the First Place trophy in the 2013 Affordable Assisted Living Coalition’s (AALC) statewide Wii Bowling Tournament. Oy Vey!, the team of residents from Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook, took home Third Place.

BMA was honored by the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) with a 2013 “Best of the Best” award for our nutrition and exercise initiative. It was the second time BMA Management has been presented with an ALFA “Best of the Best” award.

Over Labor Day weekend, residents at the Heritage Woods of McHenry and Heritage Woods of McLeansboro affordable assisted living communities celebrated their 106th Birthdays.

BMA opened and began management of our first affordable assisted living community designed to serve adults 22 to 64 years of age with physical disabilities. Deer Path of Huntley houses 128 private studio and one-bedroom apartments. We also opened Heritage Woods of Freeport in Stephenson County, Illinois, and St. Anthony of Lansing in the southern suburbs of Chicago. Both of these affordable assisted living communities are designed to serve adults 65 and older. In addition, we opened the expansion of Grand Prairie of Macomb, which nearly doubled the size of the affordable assisted living community in McDonough County, Illinois.

Heritage Woods of DeKalb was named a Caring Star of 2013 senior care service award winner by Caring.com, a national on-line senior care search website. The award placed the affordable assisted living community among the top 1.2% of assisted living and Alzheimer’s care communities in the United States.

Cambridge House of O’Fallon, Eagle Ridge of Decatur & Heritage Woods of Batavia celebrated their 10th Anniversaries of providing affordable assisted living to adults 65 and older who need some help to maintain their independence.

Heritage Woods of McHenry was recognized by Comfort Keepers for being the Second Place winner in the 2013 September through December Feed Seniors Now campaign. The affordable assisted living community collected 1,359 pounds of food that benefitted needy seniors in Lake and McHenry Counties.

The Four on the Floor team of residents from Cambridge House of Maryville finished in Second Place and the Prairie Bees from Prairie Living at Chautauqua located in Carbondale, Illinois took home Fourth Place honors in the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition’s statewide Spelling Bee.

Denise Toro, receptionist at Heritage Woods of Chicago, was honored by BMA with its First Place Shining Star Award for all that she has done to improve the quality of life for residents at the affordable assisted living community on Chicago’s west side.

Heritage Woods of Huntley & Heritage Woods of McHenry were recognized as “One of the Best” in the Retirement Centers category for the 2013 McHenry County Best of the Fox Northwest Herald Readers’ Choice awards.

For the second year in a row, Grand Prairie of Macomb created a fantastic Christmas Light Display. The nearly 50,000 lights synchronized to the sounds of classic Christmas songs. Visitors where able to listen by tuning their radios to a individualized station. An exterior speaker system played for those who braved the elements. (Video below)

Ellie Baum, Administrator at Heritage Woods of Chicago; Meghan Chasek, Administrator at Heritage Woods of Moline; and Melanie Daniels, Administrator at John Evans Supportive Living; in Pekin, graduated from the Assisted Living Federation of America’s 2013 Executive Director Leadership Institute.

Bowman Estates of Danville continued to raise money for the United Way of Danville with its annual golf outing. It is the only affordable assisted living community in Vermilion County, Illinois.

BMA’s first affordable assisted living community in Lake County, Illinois, Heritage Woods of Gurnee was awarded a Silver Certified Green Building certificate from the National Association of Home Builders’ Research Center (NAHB).

Heritage Woods of Batavia held its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Silent Auction to benefit the Batavia United Way Adopt-a-Family program. The Heritage Woods of Batavia affordable assisted living community is located in the Tri-Cities area of Kane County, Illinois.

Heritage Woods of Ottawa held its annual Festival of Wreaths Silent Auction. The event featured more than 50 wreaths decorated by local businesses and by residents of the affordable assisted living community. Funds raised benefitted the OSF St. Elizabeth Hospital Care-A-Van program.

For the second year in a row, residents of Heritage Woods of Manteno smoked Manteno firefighters and paramedics in the 2nd Annual Wii Bowling Challenge. The affordable assisted living community is located in Kankakee County, Illinois.

Phillip Bradley, a resident of Heritage Woods of Chicago, won First Place honors in the 2013 Affordable Assisted Living Coalition’s Testimonial Contest.