Nonprofit Wish of a Lifetime teams up with Lifespark to send volunteer “Cupid Crews” to deliver one thousand roses to area seniors on Valentine’s Day
Minneapolis, MN, February 10, 2017 – Valentine’s Day will be a bit sweeter for 1,000 Minneapolis seniors this year, as teams of volunteers spread across the city, giving out roses and smiles to elders. The national wish-granting organization Wish of a Lifetime has partnered with Lifespark to bring these volunteer “Cupid Crews” to senior living communities, sharing smiles and conversations with those who may feel left out or lonely on Valentine’s Day.
As seniors age, many lose spouses and loved ones, and the joy of Valentine’s Day can diminish. Research from Rutgers University shows that the receipt of flowers decreases depression and encourages companionship in senior citizens. The study also shows that seniors perform higher on everyday memory tasks and experience enriched personal memories in the presence of flowers.
“Most people think of Valentine’s Day as a day for couples,” says Sally Webster, Director of Community Outreach at Wish of a Lifetime. “But we want to show that it can also be a day of celebrating kindness and love in all forms.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Wish of a Lifetime to bring the Cupid Crew to the seniors we serve in the Twin Cities. We know from experience that seeing someone’s eyes light up – what we call ‘sparking lives’ – is a powerful motivator for everyone involved. That commitment to sparking lives has been a founding principle for our whole person senior care model,” explains Joel Theisen, RN, founder & CEO of Lifespark. “Our entire team immediately got behind this effort, and I think they will enjoy it as much as the elders and students.”
The annual Cupid Crew event started in Denver four years ago, and has now spread to cities in California, Minnesota, Texas, Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York. This year, the event expanded nationally thanks to the organization Random Acts, a volunteer-led nonprofit dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to perform acts of kindness around the world. To learn more about getting involved, visit Wish of a Lifetime’s website at www.wishofalifetime.org or sign up via Random Acts, www.randomacts.org
Follow along on social media with the hashtag #CupidCrew.
# # #
About Wish of a Lifetime
Wish of a LifetimeTM fosters respect and appreciation for deserving seniors by fulfilling their life-enriching Wishes. Founded in 2008 by two-time Olympic skier, World Cup gold medalist, entrepreneur, and former NFL football player Jeremy Bloom in living honor of his grandmother, Wish of a Lifetime has made over 1000 Wishes come true for seniors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The organization aims to create a positive shift in the way society views and values aging by sharing the stories of its inspiring Wish recipients with those of all generations. After experiencing a wish, 93 percent of Wish recipients stated they felt their quality of life improved and 76 percent said they felt their overall health improved. To learn more about the organization or to help fulfill a senior’s Wish visit www.wishofalifetime.org
About Lifespark
Proven Whole Person Senior Care
As a premium home care provider, Lifespark excels at providing short and long-term care with a focus on sparking lives when seniors need it most, wherever they call home. In fact, Lifespark has had a tradition of providing Lifespark wishes for its clients since its founding in 2004. But that’s just the beginning. Their proven whole person senior care approach goes beyond traditional home care options to dramatically reduce ER and hospital visits, translating into significantly lower long-term costs for clients and the system.