Residents from Westminster Communities of Florida’s 10 active senior living communities enjoyed outdoor festivities, games and fitness opportunities at Eckerd College
ST. PETERSBURG, January 31, 2020 – With outdoor lawn games, live music, dancing and a tai chi exercise, the Sixth Annual Westminster Games kicked off on Friday on the campus of Eckerd College. More than 300 residents and employees from Westminster Communities of Florida’s communities around the state, from the Tampa Bay area, Central Florida and North Florida, came to enjoy a competition of outdoor lawn games and tai chi. At the end of the day, their objective was to have fun in the great outdoors!
The Westminster Games showcase Westminster Communities of Florida’s active lifestyle, featuring their exclusive My W Life program for wellbeing of body, mind and soul. Residents enjoyed a fun and active experience today with the support of Eckerd College students and faculty, plus live music and dancing. Eckerd College students helped to put on the games and tabulate the scores, for inter-generational opportunities to learn more about seniors and their interests.
Attendees competed as teams by community in a variety of games to celebrate active living and wellbeing for seniors. The games included horseshoes, ring toss, corn hole and more.
Garry Hennis, Westminster Communities of Florida Chief Operating Officer, celebrated the day’s intent. “It is amazing to think that this is our sixth year! The Westminster Games highlight the difference that our residents and staff make in celebrating the active lifestyle,” Hennis said. “It’s so great to be here today.”
Eckerd College student body President Bailey Cross offered a warm welcome to attendees on behalf of Eckerd, and described her own experiences working with Westminster Shores. “Last year, during our winter term, I had the privilege of studying aging patterns in Sardinia. Before we left, we visited Westminster Shores and got a lot of feedback and had amazing conversations about what it’s like to grow up,” Cross said. “Thank you for being here today and for your continued partnership with Eckerd College!”
After a prayer led by Eckerd College chaplain Doug McMahon, the games kicked off. Several hundred residents competed in teams to see which community would come away with the prize of first place.
This year’s winning team was Westminster Shores in St. Petersburg, followed by Westminster Winter Park in second place and Westminster Towers in third place. “Congratulations to all the winners!” said Jim Polaski, Regional Vice President of Operations.
Congratulations to Westminster Shores and all the residents of Westminster Communities of Florida, for joining us in celebrating active living.
All throughout 2019, Westminster Communities of Florida residents celebrated each month with exciting themed activities and events, as part of our Celebrating Your Life program. This monthly calendar of various themed activities and events was designed to appeal to our MyWLife wellbeing program’s Eight Dimensions of Wellbeing: physical, nutritional, community, lifelong learning, spiritual, emotional, vocational, and social. Around the state, we’re working hard to facilitate these festive celebrations all year long.
We’re excited to announce that, for the entire year, we announced an overall winner. Please congratulate Westminster Shores for coming in #1 in 2019’s Celebrating Your Life program!
Learn about all the fun we had last year:
December – Celebrating The Holidays
How do you celebrate Christmas and New Year’s? We discovered a whole world of celebration, plus a celebration of “Physical Fit”mas, annual choral and musical performances, holiday scavenger hunts and decorating contests — and more than a few New Year’s Eve parties, too. Happy New Year!
1st Place – Tie with Westminster Manor, Westminster Woods on Julington Creek, Westminster Shores, Westminster Palms and Westminster Towers
2nd Place – Westminster Point Pleasant
3rd Place – Westminster Oaks
November – Celebrating Gratitude
Each Thanksgiving, many of us enjoy gathering with our family and friends and sharing what we’re grateful for this year. With “Celebrating Gratitude,” we shared a variety of celebrations, from thanking local police and first responders, and sharing friendship with each other, to packing shoeboxes and sending greeting cards to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces serving abroad. What are you thankful for this year?
1st Place – Tie with Westminster Shores, Westminster Palms and Westminster St. Augustine
2nd Place – Westminster Manor
3rd Place – Westminster Woods on Julington CreekPhotos Celebrating Gratitude at our communities in November.
October – Celebrating The Arts
The residents and staff in our communities are amazingly artistic. All throughout the month, we celebrated every kind of art: We made kites, baked pies, enjoyed theatrical and choral performances, and so much more.
1st Place – Westminster Shores
2nd Place – Tie with Westminster Palms and Westminster Towers
3rd Place – Tie with Westminster St. Augustine, Westminster Woods on Julington Creek and Westminster OaksPhotos showcasing The Arts at our communities in October.
September – Celebrate Active Aging
Aging is a part of life, but this month, we celebrated being active and having a great time! We treated ourselves to healthy dining choices, physical wellbeing events, meditation classes, and an astronomy night. Being happy never gets old at a Westminster community!
1st Place – Tied for Westminster Palms, Westminster Shores and Westminster Towers
2nd Place – Westminster Oaks
3rd Place – Westminster ManorPhotos celebrating Active Aging at our communities in September.
August – Celebrate The World Around You
In August, we celebrated “The World Around You” all month long. Our residents and team members enjoyed events ranging from dinners featuring international cuisine and presentations by world traveling residents, to musical events and even nature and birding trips.
Congratulations to our August winners:
1st Place – Westminster Shores
2nd Place – Westminster Palms
3rd Place – Westminster TowersPhotos showcasing The World Around You at our communities in August.
July – Celebrate Patriotism
“Celebrate Patriotism” was the theme for the month of July. Throughout the month resident and team members enjoyed many patriotic events: Fourth of July fireworks, red, white and blue yoga, virtual America, a historical happy hour and much more.
Congratulations to our July winners!
1st place – Westminster Palms
2nd place – Westminster Shores
3rd place – Westminster Woods on Julington Creek
June – Bucket List Trip
What’s on your bucket list? Throughout the month of June, we celebrated “Bucket List” items. We conquered some fears and went rock climbing, listened to a live mariachi band, tried some exotic foods, like fried frog legs, cricket-based protein chips and much more.
Congratulations to our June winners!
1st place – Westminster Shores
2nd place – Westminster Palms
3rd place – Westminster Point Pleaseant
May – Spring, When Life Blooms
We continue to celebrate each month with a unique theme. In May, we celebrated “Spring, When Life Blooms,” Westminster Shores, took the first-place prize for the second time this year.
Residents and team members participated in many spring-themed events: Planting Key lime trees, spring fashion shows, a Mother’s Day tea, a musical, and much more.
1st place – Westminster Shores
2nd place – Westminster Woods on Julington Creek
3rd place – Westminster Oaks
April – Celebrate Local Community
“Celebrate Local Community” was the theme for the month of April. Throughout the month, residents and team members enjoyed many activities around their local communities — city and farm tours, local scavenger hunts, exercising around the community and many other community involvement events.
Congratulations to our April winners!
1st place – Westminster Palms
2nd place – Westminster Shores
3rd place – Westminster Manor
March – Healthy Habits
To continue promoting a healthy lifestyle for our residents and team members, the theme for March was all about “Healthy Habits,” encouraging everyone to find a healthy habit they can enjoy.
Throughout the month, residents and team members engaged in many events — morning walks, volleyball, learning to create healthy meals, gardening and many other healthy habits.
Congratulations to our March winners!
1st place – Westminster Shores
2nd place – Westminster Palms
3rd place – Westminster Woods on Julington Creek
February – Love Your Neighbor
February’s celebrated theme was “Love Your Neighbor.” Residents and team members enjoyed physical outings around the neighborhood, volunteered at local organizations, had gatherings to meet their neighbors and explored new places with their neighborhood friends.
Congratulations to our top three February winners for celebrating Love Your Neighbor with wonderful experiences for our residents:
1st place – Westminster Palms
2nd place – Westminster Shores
3rd place – Westminster Manor
January – New Beginnings
January’s theme celebrated “New Beginnings” as communities across the state planned New Year’s celebrations, learned new traditions, and discussed resolutions.
Residents participated in new fitness challenges. Some of the new exercises included a Fitness Train, golf, chair yoga, pole walking and many more. We also learned about nutritional foods and danced to new tunes from many local performers.
To thank them for their service, Dominick DeSarro, Vice President of Pharmacy Services, wrote an open letter to his staff, thanking them for their dedication to their profession. Read the letter now.
We asked the Westminster Pharmacy Services team to take a step into the spotlight and share their stories. Some of our team responded simply that the most important part of working as a pharmacist was having a desire to take care of people — and that “Westminster’s commitment to our residents and our values as an organization” are why they choose to serve our residents.
Why should you choose to work as a pharmacist, this National Pharmacist Day? “You will gain a family and support system that cares about your success,” another said.
Meet some of our superhero pharmacists – and be sure to thank your neighborhood pharmacist today!
Dr. Teri West, Consultant Pharmacist
Q: How long have you been at Westminster?
I have been here since July 2015.
Q: Why did you decide to work as a pharmacist?
To be an advocate for older adults trying to navigate complex medication regimens and help them avoid dangerous side effects.
Q: What brought you to Westminster?
It was the opportunity to impact more older adults.
Q: What do you like best about serving WCOF employees and residents?
I get to help hundreds of grandparents, even though mine are no longer with me, except in in spirit.
Q: This National Pharmacist Day, what’s the top reason you would recommend a career in pharmacy?
You should consider a career in pharmacy to become a support person and a solution for other caregivers and nurses every day, who share our calling to serve older adults.
Q: What’s one fun fact that your co-workers don’t know about you?
I love the game of pinochle! I used to go to the senior center with my grandma and play with her friends.
Dr. Chris Marian, Pharmacist In Charge, Bradenton
Q: How long have you been at Westminster?
Three years.
Q: Why did you decide to work as a pharmacist?
I became interested in it when I was helping my grandmother with her medications, growing up.
Q: What brought you to Westminster?
This has been a very unique opportunity to help residents over multiple levels of care, and the ability to develop closer relationships with the residents.
Q: What do you like best about serving WCOF employees and residents?
The opportunity to get to know them better and provide them with more personalized care, while serving them from down the hall or elevator from their apartment buildings.
Q: This National Pharmacist Day, what’s the top reason you would recommend a career in pharmacy?
You get the satisfaction of helping others by making their medication process more convenient, guiding them toward better health, and saving them money.
Q: What’s one fun fact that your co-workers don’t know about you?
I can speak three languages: English, Greek and Spanish.
Dr. Courtney Schmidt, Consultant Pharmacist and Staff Pharmacist
Q: How long have you been at Westminster?
I have been here one and a half years.
Q: Why did you decide to work as a pharmacist?
I enjoy taking care of people and I like a challenge.
Q: What brought you to Westminster?
A friend recommended Westminster to me.
Q: What do you like best about serving WCOF employees and residents?
I like getting to know our residents and knowing that I’m able to help them.
Q: This National Pharmacist Day, what’s the top reason you would recommend a career in pharmacy?
I recommend it because you have the ability to help others who are in need.
Q: What’s one fun fact that your co-workers don’t know about you?
Previously I have lived in Africa.
Dr. Lance Fontenot, Staff Pharmacist
Q: How long have you been at Westminster?
Sixteen years.
Q: Why did you decide to work as a pharmacist?
I wanted to help heal people.
Q: What brought you to Westminster?
It was a change of scenery.
Q: What do you like best about serving WCOF employees and residents?
I like having the ability to help heal sick people and bring them back to health through our services.
Q: This National Pharmacist Day, what’s the top reason you would recommend a career in pharmacy?
Today, we’ll get free doughnuts!
Q: What’s one fun fact that your co-workers don’t know about you?
I can speak Spanish, too.
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Photos Celebrating Gratitude at our communities in November.
Photos showcasing The Arts at our communities in October.
Photos celebrating Active Aging at our communities in September.
Photos showcasing The World Around You at our communities in August.
