By Amber Springer of Gardant Management Solutions
Competition was fierce.
The top trivia and Wii Bowling teams gathered at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center in Springfield this week for statewide tournaments hosted by the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC).
It was amazing to see the dedication and hard work among residents from our supportive living communities. Long after the first day of competition ended, trivia teams huddled in the hallways, quizzing each other on questions they might see in the finals. The bowlers were glued to television screens, trying to beat their best scores for a chance to take home the biggest trophies and earn bragging rights until next year.
These men and women – all over the age of 65 – defy aging stereotypes. They are active. They are sharp. And I’d be willing to bet they’d give anyone – young or old – a run for their money in Jeopardy or Wii Bowling.
It was inspiring to hear stories from residents at the annual tournament. They’d mastered a new hobby and traveling to the state’s capital to challenge others was a way for them to continue pushing themselves both mentally and physically. The experience was something they hadn’t imagined possible a few years ago, and it was just one more reason they said their decisions to move into assisted living communities had been life-changing.
6th Annual Wii Bowling Tournament
Close to 100 teams entered the Wii Bowling tournament this year, making it the biggest pool of competitors so far. Eighteen teams from Gardant communities advanced to the 32-team playoffs, including the three that rolled their way into the Final Four. Nine Gardant residents were honored for perfect 300 scores during the regular season.
The Bowling Brooks from Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook finished first, further cementing their place as one of the top bowling teams in the state. Their first place trophy will be added to a mantel that already includes hardware from second, third and four place victories from previous competitions. The 2015 bowlers were Ann Duncan, Dorothy Green, Vonnie Heagy, Michael Malina, Jeanne Pridmore and Joan Schmitz. Vonnie, the highest scoring bowler of the week with a 279 and 268, received special recognition during Thursday’s awards ceremony. The team score topped 900 in both the semi-finals and finals, setting what organizers believed was a record for the most points tallied by a single team in tournament history.
The Pin Heads from Prairie Living at Chautauqua, our affordable assisted living community in Carbondale, weren’t far behind in the competition. The team, which included Carol Biegler, Delores Ebersohl, Donna Webb-Major and Arlene Louis, came in second place.
The Heritage Woodsmen also added another trophy to their case. This year, they finished third, closing out a difficult season that left them down a man when their fourth member, Harry Waggle, passed away. The group, Burleigh Hocking, John Honn and Bill Pankey, dedicated the rest of the year to playing in his honor. Heritage Woods of Charleston has finished in first and third place in the past.
2015 Brain Games
This was the first year for the Brain Games competition, which combined trivia and Jeopardy for a fun twist on the popular television game show. Players tested their knowledge by placing bets on their answers; the teams that earned the most points advanced to the finals.
The Heritage Woods Foxes from Heritage Woods of Batavia finished in first place. Jim Gent and Mary Jane Hillier represented the community. Their third member, Jerry Wall, was unable to travel to the tournament, but was excited to learn the team’s hard work throughout the season had paid off. Bonnie Western served as an alternate on the team.
Prairie Living at Chautauqua a was represented on the Brain Games side, taking home second place honors in that tournament as well. Team members were Madeline Brossart, Ann Dehorn, Virgil Kuhnert, Will Majors and Trish Weihl.
Both teams competed in the statewide AALC trivia tournament last year, but this is the first time they took trophies home.
Other Gardant communities that advanced to the Brain Games contest in Springfield were Cambridge House of Swansea, Eagle Ridge of Decatur, Heritage Woods of Manteno and Heritage Woods of Plainfield.
For more images from the tournaments, click here.
All affordable assisted living communities managed by Gardant Management Solutions are certified and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. All assisted living communities are licensed and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“Gardant Management Solutions is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
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