In celebration of Older Americans Month, DC nursing homes and assisted living communities, along with the help of their staff, will physically and symbolically connect as a community in a city-wide relay run. The second annual DC Longevity Fun Run honors elders and especially those over the age of 100, celebrates the resilience and strength of those who live and work in senior living, reunites us as a community beyond our walls, and reminds us that we have more in common than that which has kept us apart. Each older American participating has a lifetime of wisdom to share.

Mr. Dennis Morrissey, of Forest Hills of DC, will kick off the Fun Run this year. He grew up in Pierre, South Dakota and was an economist with the U.S. Foreign aid program in Latin America and the Middle East. He enjoys singing in a chorus, attending operas, birding and drawing. Senior living residents throughout the city will pass the baton to healthcare workers. The Run will close with Mrs. Judith O’Hara, Resident council President at Forest Hills of DC, receiving the baton from the last runner. Originally from Oak Park, Illinois, Mrs. O’Hara spent her career as an attorney specializing in estate planning and as an advocate for the poor and marginalized. The residents living in our collective senior living communities have rich stories to tell and wisdom to share.

On Thursday, May 12, starting at 8am, the staff runner leaving Forest Hills of DC will carry the baton to the next senior living community and hand it over to the next senior living resident awaiting the baton. The second resident will hand the baton over to the next runner from that community and so on, throughout the District of Columbia. A total of 11 communities of residents and staff will participate.

Charles de Vilmorin, CEO and Co-Founder of Linked Senior is an avid long-distance runner who is coordinating race logistics and also running in the event.

This year, we highlight the fact that Old People Are Cool. The DC Council voted last week to approve an official DC Proclamation that May 2022 be designated Old People Are Cool Month. This supports our celebration of Older Americans Month, promotes positive aging notions, and combats ageism in our society. We invite all members of our greater communities in and out of senior living to find ways large and small to celebrate Older Americans.

The order of the Fun Run stops in Washington, DC, are as follows:

1. Forest Hills of DC, 4901 Connecticut Ave, NW
2. Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home, 1818 Newton St, NW
3. The Marigold Assisted Living, 2905 11th Street, NW
4. Serenity Rehabilitation and Health Center, 1380 Southern Ave, SE
5. Stoddard Baptist Global Care, 2601 18^th Street, NE
6. Carroll Manor, 725 Buchanan Street, NE
7. Jeanne Jugan Residence/Little Sisters of the Poor, 4200 Harewood Road, NE
8. Knollwood Life Plan and Retirement Community, 6200 Oregon Ave, NW
9. Forest Side of DC, 2701 Military Ave, NW
10. Lisner Louise Dickson Hurt Home, 5425 Western Avenue, NW
11. Sunrise on Connecticut Avenue, 5111 Connecticut Ave, NW

Older Americans Month is celebrated each May, with the theme this year set as “Age My Way.” https://acl.gov/oam/2022/older-americans-month-2022

The run is sponsored by Forest Hills of DC (FHDC) https://foresthillsdc.org/,  Linked Senior https://www.linkedsenior.com/ , PositiveAging Sourcebook https://www.retirementlivingsourcebook.com/ and the District of Columbia Health Care Association (DCHCA) ( https://www.dchca.org/).

FHDC’s mission is to continually grow as a supportive community that inspires and engages seniors. For 130+ years, seniors have been served via assisted living, assisted living memory care, respite, CMS 5-star skilled nursing care, and rehabilitation services.

The mission of Linked Senior is to enhance life in senior living and to support person-centered care through life enrichment and dementia engagement using simple technology and non-drug therapy.

Positive Aging SourceBook was founded by Steve Gurney in 1990 to provide individuals, families, and professionals with the most comprehensive listing of every retirement community, assisted living, nursing and rehab center and home care option in the DC, Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland.

The DCHCA mission is to promote the ability of each member to operate in a cohesive way, through the work of the DCHCA, to develop, implement, educate and assure the delivery of quality care to long term care consumers in a safe and secure environment.

For further information, contact Tina Sandri, CEO of Forest Hills of DC and Immediate Past Chair of DCHCA at 202-966-7623 or .