Dreams. We all have them. Big or small, we all have them.
Think back to your earliest memory as a kid. You had dreams then. Maybe it was to be a firefighter. Maybe it was to be a ballerina. Maybe it was something small as having your own radio.
Dreams don’t end just because we grow up. We still have dreams. Our residents still have dreams.
Dreams for our kids, dreams for our grandkids, dreams for ourselves. We are what we are. A bunch of dreamers. But what would it look like if we could make dreams come true?
To each of us, our dreams are very personal. It’s part of what makes us who we are.
What has been amazing about this program is not just the dreams that we have helped make happen. It has been the response from the community. The overwhelming support to make these residents have that opportunity to realize their dream.
Today there are Random Acts of Kindness happening every day, and today, we have a chance to do just that for the residents here at Prairie View.
Each dream touches not only the resident, but it touches their families and friends. It touches our team here at Prairie View, and just as important, it touches each one of you in this community.
We were very happy that everyone had chosen to spend this gorgeous afternoon with us to support and celebrate dreams. We would like to thank the many volunteers, organizations and businesses that have done so much to support this program, and have seen it all the way through to this moment Without you, this would not be possible. We have listed those at the bottom of this post.
Our event was really something special for each person.
Eva’s dream was to simply have a Chicken Dinner again. You know the kind. With all the fixings. The kind we used to see at holidays and family celebrations. Well, Eva, that Dream is probably shared by many of us here, and on May 8th, you and all the residents of Prairie View will be served that traditional meal.
Phyllis loves fresh produce. She especially enjoyed her time going to Lundstrum’s to pick fresh produce over the many years. Well, Lundstrum’s can appreciate that feeling. They understand what a feeling it is to find just the right piece of produce. During the upcoming Summer Months, Lundstrum’s would like to give you a basket of fresh produce every week. Your granddaughter-in-law, Jennifer, has agreed to deliver your basket to you each week.
How many of us can think of time that we enjoyed the simple act of going for a drive and having an ice cream cone along the way? Well, that is Lorraine’s dream. And on May 12th, she will be going on a drive, taking the scenic route, of course, and stopping by Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone. Simply an enjoyable afternoon.
Edna has dreamed of exploring Ramsey Park in Redwood Falls, and to have a picnic lunch in the park during the adventure. Well, on May 29th, Edna’s dream will come true as she becomes an explorer for the day at Ramsey Park. We’ll be sure to pack a picnic basket full of picnic favorites for your adventure.
Phyllis and Doris have wished for a long time that they would be able to go with their sister to see a play at Chanhassen Dinner Theater. We shared their wish with Chanhassen Dinner Theaters and they have so graciously donated the Director’s Table on May 6th for these lovely ladies to join their sister to see Mary Poppins. They will also be served dessert and coffee while at the show. Enjoy the show, ladies!
Muriel used to enjoy the crab legs served at Jackpot Junction in Morton. She even used to bring her own pliers to open them (she told us it was a needle nose pliers by the way). Well, her dream was to go back again to have that seafood dinner with crab legs. Well, Jackpot would love in invite you down to visit for that Seafood dinner, and hope that they get to see you very soon. We’ll begin planning your trip very soon!
Next up were Lois and Marie. These ladies had the simple wish to go back to Green Lake in Spicer for a trip around the lake. And with this nice weather we are having today, how many of us would dream of being there, too. Well, with the generosity of Mr. Keith Heikes of Factory Direct in Hutchinson, your dreams will come true. Keith has volunteered make this dream come true. The staff of Prairie View will work with these ladies and Keith to set-up their excursion date in the near future.
For many years, Glenn has just wanted another day to be at home, on his farm, and enjoy a grill out with sweet corn. Well, Glenn, your family is going to make this come true for you. They will watch the weather, and wait for just the perfect moment, and they will bring you out to have a grill out with sweet corn. It sounds delicious!
For those of you that may know Jerome, you know he is an avid Twins fan. Probably knows every stat for every player currently on the field, and for teams’ past. Well, this Twins hat has been donated to Jerome to wear. And thanks to a generous contributor, Oak Grove Financial, he will attend a game! On May 27th at 12:10pm, Jerome will be at Target Field watching the Twins play the Red Sox. Enjoy the game, Jerome! Go Twins!
Marj’s dream is to update her entertainment center and television set. Well, with much appreciation, we are pleased to announce that Circle and Lori Clasemann, Marj’s dream is coming true. Circle is providing the new entertainment center and TV, and Lori will be bringing the new TV.
Elaine, her late husband, and several couples use to go to meetings, and dine together at Peter’s on Lake Ripley of Litchfield. They usually had the ribs. YUM! Well, almost everyone in that group have passed, leaving only Elaine and one other remaining. Elaine’s dream was to go with this special lady for an exceptional evening at Peter’s. And with their generosity, they are giving you a gift certificate for you and your friend to join them on May 13th at 5pm for Ribs. It sounds delightful!
When we visited with George about his dream, we learned that he and his late wife use to frequent Athmann’s Restaurant in Bird Island. Every Sunday, you could find them there for brunch. George’s dream was to go back there with his entire family. Well, we stand here today to share that this dream already came true. On April 12th, George’s entire family arrived and took George out to brunch at Athmann’s. The day was a wonderful moment for this family. They even had a photographer to join, to capture this moment when all could be together. Today, we present George a photobook, created by his family, of their day together. We extend our appreciation to George’s family for making this dream a reality.
When Don was asked what his dream was, he simply stated that he wanted a red barn with a green roof. Well, the Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Shop Students and their instructor, Stephanie Supa, wanted to make this dream come true for you. We thank each one of you for making this dream come true through this amazing gift.
While raising her family, it was not uncommon for Lois to prepare Potato Pancakes for Michelle. In fact, it was one of her favorites, too. She loved Potato Pancakes. She also loved her dog, Buddy. Lois’ dream was simple. I want to have the food I love, and have a chance to see her dog that she loved. Well, we are happy to announce that just today at Lunch, Lois got to enjoy Potato Pancakes. And we are very happy to share the spotlight with her dog, Buddy, as they have come to visit.
Marion always enjoyed going to Hahn’s Fine Dining in Winthrop. She dreamed that someday, she would be able to go back to Hahn’s, with her family. Well, Hahn’s would love to see you again, too. They extend their best wishes, and a gift certificate to you to join them in the near future. They would love to see your family there, too.
Theresa’s dream was to have a Glamour Shots-type photo shoot. Hair, Make-up, the whole shebang. Well, Theresa, on May 16th due to the generous donations of Nancy Fosland from Totally You Salon of Hector and Justin Baysinger a photographer from Hutchinson, your dream photo shoot will become a reality. You will begin your shoot with Nancy for Hair and Make-up at 8:30 and then travel to Hutchinson for your photo shoot. We can’t wait to see the photos!!!
Our next dream is one from a resident who is no longer with us. Dorothy grew up in New Finland, and since they were so close to it, they were able to have a personal menu full of seafood. They had a lot of it. Living here, we don’t always see seafood options on our menus, at least not the kind that Dorothy had in mind. Her dream was to share her love of seafood with the residents of Prairie View. And on May 14th, the residents of Prairie View, along with Patti Jo and Bruce, will be enjoying a Lobster and Prime Rib dinner in celebration of Dorothy and her dream.
This crew’s dream was to travel to visit Canterbury Park. Well, that dream is about to come true. We are finalizing the day now, but soon, each of you will be heading to Canterbury for a wonderful afternoon adventure. We would like to take thank Curt Sampson and Canterbury Park for making it possible for us to make this dream come true.
We have so much to be thankful for, here at Prairie View, and we would like to extend our most gracious thanks to those that made this day such a successful event. For those that contributed, or are contributing to the fulfillment of these dreams, we want you to know that your generosity is greatly appreciated. To our residents, their families, their friends, and to this community – your ongoing support of Prairie View cannot be forgotten. You help us make this place such a great community for our residents, and we are so grateful. And finally, we thank the staff working at Prairie View, and would ask that you join me in a round of applause for everything they do, every day to make our residents’ dreams come true. We are so very fortunate for all of you.
We would like to extend a very special thank you to one of our staff that showed such strong vigor for making today possible. Through many phone calls and visits, she has kept track of every detail. She has helped make this day a success. I ask that you join me in a round of applause for Dana, our Community Life Coordinator.
For you, for me, for all of us – dreams are incredibly important.
As you can see from the images above, today was an emotional day for the residents, their families, our team members, and for the community of Hector. To see businesses close their doors so they could make today’s event, tells you the level at which people care for each other in this wonderful community and how important this was to each of them.
This program was made possible with the contributions of the following people and businesses.
- Martin Bros Distributing
- Chanhassen Dinner Theatre
- Keith Heikes & Furniture Direct – Hutchinson
- Oak Grove Financial
- Prairie View of Hector Culinary Department
- Circle & Lori Clasemann
- Curt Sampson & Canterbury Park
- Peter’s on Lake Ripley
- Justin Baysinger Photography – Hutchinson, MN
- Chuck Blum, KOLV
- Hahn’s Fine Dining of Winthrop
- Athmann’s Restaurant
- Lundstrum’s Produce
- BLHS Shop Students
- Stephanie Suppa
- Totally U Salon
- City of Hector
- American Bar & Grill
- Babe’s Blossom’s
- St. Andrew’s Catholic Church – Fairfax
- Flower’s by Jerry
- Hubin Publishing
- Prairie View of Hector staff
Welcome Home Management has helped facilitate this award winning program for the past 10 years in several of their communities and we are very proud of our team members at Prairie View of Hector for all of their hard work pulling today’s event together.
Bill Hudson from WCCO-TV even came out to do a story on our program. You can view the story on their website by clicking here.
If you would like more information on Prairie View of Hector, please visit us on our website at: https://welcomehmc.com/communities/prairie-view/
Welcome Home Management is based in Hutchinson, Minnesota and manages eleven senior living properties in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Roman Bloemke, Director of Operations
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