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Let’s Get It Started:
The Story of a Party and a President
Let’s Get It Started:
The Story of a Party and a President
The Party It Forward Story
DARTS Party It Forward is quickly approaching, causing me to reflect on its history.
In 2012, Mike and Lori Dalglish decided to turn their birthday celebrations into an opportunity to give back, and Party It Forward was born! The early parties were lots of dancing and auction items, and a light DARTS commercial.
On the eve of our 12th annual party, I can’t help but wonder at what age do birthdays stop being something to celebrate?
When I joined DARTS as its President in 2015, Steve Haschig and I puzzled about what to re-brand Party It Forward that year. Ultimately, Steve and I had the epiphany that this party should celebrate aging! We still have music, opportunities to win or bid on items, and particularly when the party was online in 2020 and 2021, a stronger emphasis on telling the DARTS story.
My Story
In about 2001, my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. By 2006, we knew Dad should not continue to live in his home alone, particularly when his daughters were both over 300 miles away in Minnesota. The question was: how do you get this man, whose ideas are no longer rooted in reality, to move from his home of 40 years to another state?Mercifully, someone at the Apple Valley Senior Center suggested I call DARTS for help. Even more fortunately, I made the phone call. From that moment forward, DARTS helped provide me options, resources, and comfort as Dad’s disease progressed until he passed away in 2011.
How do I measure the impact the help Dad and I received?
- Dad lived in his home, by himself, 7 years after his diagnosis. DARTS telling me how to leverage his county’s social workers and other resource ideas, in my opinion, are why.
- When we had to move him, we had good solutions for housing and evaluating him, due to DARTS recommendations.
- I was able to continue to work a more than full-time job while traveling to Wisconsin twice a month for long weekends without going completely bonkers because a DARTS coach understood the effort and provided resources to help me.
- My family and I are confident that Dad lived life to the fullest because DARTS helped us. And we, the caregivers lived to tell our story. (This is actually a big deal. A University of Minnesota study found 18% of spouses caring for someone with dementia die first.)
How You Can Add to the Story
“Aging Services” is a tough cause to wrap your head around. We don’t strive to cure or eliminate aging. In fact, it is quite the opposite. DARTS aims to give everyone the opportunity to age well in the community of their choice. Our work supports people caring for an older person and anyone aged 50 on up.
Age is just a number until you lose your health or your wealth. People with ample financial resources have more options when age changes their abilities. Whether finding the right place to live, a ride to the store, or people to clean, these are more easily accomplished if money is no object.
Galas need a cause. The DARTS cause is to keep people thriving as well today as they were yesterday. We measure our success by people telling us that we are helping them to provide care longer, live in their home longer, and that they feel more connected because DARTS has helped them.
Celebrate the Aging Story!
This year, I hope that you can join us for Party It Forward on Thursday October 19 from 5-7pm at Southview Country Club. The party will be tons of fun, and shopping online is a good alternative if you can’t make it. Your attendance declares that our communities are at their best when all ages can thrive. Your support converts the problems that can come with aging into time where people actually celebrate their “golden years.”
With you, we are creating connections that enrich aging. Together we are providing options that creating a fulfilling aging journey for anyone.
Let’s all put on our party clothes and celebrate aging!
If you are interested in learning more about Party It Forward this year, click here. To register, follow this link!
Author
Ann Bailey (Author)
Ann Bailey became President at DARTS in 2015 and served on the DARTS Board 2010-2015. Ann discovered DARTS services when her father’s Alzheimer’s disease advanced to a point where it began to take a toll on the family. Prior to joining DARTS, she led technology teams at Target Corporation. Ann holds a Bachelor of Science in Business degree from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.Ann and her husband, Randy, live in Apple Valley and engage in various community building activities, supporting Eastview Community Foundation, Aquatennial Ambassador Organization, and Rick’s Bike Sale. Ann serves on the boards for Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging and the River Heights Chamber of Commerce. She is an active member of South Robert Street Business Association, Fairview Hospital Auxiliary, Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Burnsville Chamber of Commerce. She provides aging services perspectives to several steering committees including the University of Minnesota 10,000 Family Studies and Fairview Ridges Healthy Communities.
In her free time, Ann enjoys traveling and typically two trips a year are states drawn at random. She also enjoys cooking and has a small garden to provide recipe ingredients.