In April 2022, Walmart generously donated four bicycles to the Ardenwoods community, with the hope that residents would check them out, ride around the block, and feel encouraged to stay active in retirement. However, since they arrived on campus, the bikes have seldom been used, and, instead of breezing around the community, they’ve only collected more dust.
So, the Ardenwoods Activities Committee set out on a top-secret mission to fix that.
The group found a set of stabilizers and enlisted the help of a few handy residents to attach them to one of the bikes. This top-secret mission was later revealed to the larger community in our first Promenade of the season in April 2023.
Promenade is a seasonal monthly event in the spring and summer, where residents and staff alike are encouraged to get outside and move. Whether you use a scooter, a walker, a cane, or just your own two legs, you are invited to take a lap or two around the Clubhouse with your neighbors.
And now, with the bikes, you can ride around too!
Excitement for the new stabilizers was instantaneous and exceedingly positive. With their help, many residents were able to ride a bike for the first time in years.
One resident, Siri-Gian, now checks the bike out on a regular basis to go for a ride around the Clubhouse. She has even decorated the bike with streamers and a horn.
“I just love being in motion and feeling the wind in my face,” Siri-Gian said. “It’s a lot of fun to get outside and enjoy the event with my neighbors and friends.”