Grand Opening Signals a Bond to Community
I was a reporter for 15 years, and covering a grand opening was typically the last assignment any reporter wanted to cover. It certainly wasn’t going to be the lead story. At a client’s recent grand opening of an assisted living community, I wished for a moment I was a reporter again and had gotten the assignment to cover it.
I’ve been to many of these types of events before, but this time the true meaning of the event rose to the forefront. There were politicians, neighbors, family, business people and residents in attendance. This new assisted living community suddenly had a life and a very strong purpose. In fact, one of those who worked so hard on the development talked about the soul of the community.
That soul was so evident in the faces of all in attendance. There was a strong sense of pride that there is a new community where older adults can live and know that care is available. There was pride in knowing that the community came together to make the dream of this new building a reality. There were speeches, certificates, good food, entertainment and most of all – a room full of smiles.
I believe that so often people forget why a community for older adults is so important. It is more than shelter; it is a place where all that is good for people comes together.
On this day, I would have gladly accepted the assignment to cover the grand opening. It was “the lead” for this community on this day, and rightly so.
