A Purposeful Swing

A multitude of golfers, volunteers and spectators converged on Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, in June for what is becoming a cherished tradition – The Lifespace Foundation Annual Golf Classic. The group, which consisted of Lifespace home office and community leaders, residents, and business partners, joined together to raise funds for The Foundation through some friendly competition at the daylong golf tournament.

Donations made at this year’s event will support The Foundation’s Benevolent Care Fund, which provides financial support for residents who exhaust their financial resources through no fault of their own. This enables them to stay in their homes, with their friends, while receiving the care they’re accustomed to at Lifespace communities.

“Words can’t fully express our gratitude for the support we received,” said Amy Brainard, director of The Lifespace Foundation. “The promise behind our Life Care offering is a lifetime of quality care and accommodations no matter your circumstances. The generosity of our business partners, residents, families and friends for endeavors like the Golf Classic helps us fulfill this pledge.”

John Spooner, co-CEO of Greystone Communities, a senior living consulting firm, was one of 124 golfers who participated in the tournament. His firm was also among 43 corporate sponsors who contributed financially to support the initiative. Spooner strongly advocated the cause, stating, “Our industry’s main objective is to serve residents, which is especially crucial when they’re faced with situations beyond their control. This is The Lifespace Foundation’s goal, and because of our partnership, it’s naturally part of our mission as well. The tournament is also a lot of fun. Everyone was in a good mood, and there was great gaming on the course.”

Rich Scanlon, senior managing director at Ziegler, an investment bank, capital markets and proprietary investments firm that also sponsored the event, shared Spooner’s viewpoint, adding, “Lifespace has been our partner for close to 30 years and we think it’s important to support them in their endeavors, especially ones as noble as this one. It’s an honor to make a difference in people’s lives and the opportunity to play at a top-tier course like Hazeltine was truly a pleasure.”

Additionally, The Foundation used the event as the launchpad for its newest initiative, the Beyond Benevolence Fund. This fund is geared toward providing additional relief to residents receiving benevolent care assistance by offering financial support unrelated to their standard monthly expenses.

“We’re always exploring new avenues of boosting the well-being of residents,” explained Brainard. “While our Benevolent Care Fund covers day-to-day living, unexpected and unpredictable obligations inevitably come up. For example, there might be an unexpected family or medical care emergency that requires additional financial support. These are the instances where the Beyond Benevolence Fund would apply.”

As for the Golf Classic, Brainard foresees long-term success with the initiative. She added, “Our ultimate goal is to someday get the Benevolent Care Fund to a point where it’s self-sustaining, and the widespread enthusiasm behind the Golf Classic is very encouraging.”

[In the photo: Resident and team member volunteers at the second annual Lifespace Foundation Golf Classic: (left to right) back row: Amy Brainard, Glenn Laedtke, Michael Schaefer and Ray Richason; front row: Claire Laedtke and Karen Benson.]

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