Who Inspires You? Sound Generations Wants to Know!
“Is there an older adult in your life who inspires you?” asks Sound Generations CEO Paula L. Houston. “Many of us have a parent or grandparent, a mentor or teacher, or a friend or neighbor, whose life exemplifies positive aging through community involvement, healthy living, relationships, and endurance—all the traits we ourselves hope to exhibit as we age. Join us in celebrating positive aging and nominate someone you know for the Inspire Positive Aging Awards.”
Sound Generations is accepting nominations for the 2016 Inspire Positive Aging Awards. Nominations must be received or postmarked by April 30, 2016. Any individual age 60 and over who lives in King County is eligible for nomination. Anyone may nominate.
“King County is filled with older adults whose lives inspire us about how to age with grace, enthusiasm, creativity, hope, and energy,” says Houston. “They quietly make life better for others even as their years advance. Sound Generations created the Inspire Positive Aging Award in 2006 to recognize these role models.”
This year, Sound Generations will recognize five recipients in the following categories:
- Advocacy + Activism—Recognize the importance of lifelong advocacy by nominating an older person working towards change.
- Community Service—Nominate the older community member in your life who inspires you with tireless service to others.
- Health + Wellness—Nominate an older person whose commitment to health inspires you.
- Intergenerational Impact—Celebrate community by nominating someone who works with or for younger generations.
- Lifelong Learning—Show your support for lifelong learning by nominating an older person who inspires you to challenge yourself.
Eileen Broomell received the 2015 Inspire Positive Aging Award at age 90. She is known as an educator, motivator, instructor, and a strong believer in positive thinking. Broomell has been a Red Cross volunteer instructor/trainer for several decades. She also ran her own business as a canoe river guide for 27 years as well as having been a Highline Community College instructor and coach of their basketball and volleyball teams.
Now 91, Broomell continues to inspire. She teaches health, wellness and exercise classes at several senior centers. Nineteen ladies aged 58–88 participate in her Burien class. Her SeaTac class has 21 ladies and three men, aged 58–93. (Overall, Broomell teaches two people over age 90, 10 people between the ages of 85 and 89, and 10 people between 75 and 79.)
A list of all past Inspire Positive Aging Award recipients is available online (click here).
Nominate your positive aging mentor
Nomination forms are available at www.inspire-award.org. For more information, contact Brittany Blue at 206-727-6261 or brittanybl@soundgenerations.org.
The Inspire Positive Aging Awards recipients will be announced on June 9, 2016 at the Inspire Positive Aging Awards Luncheon, held at Bellevue Hilton. Luncheon tickets are available at https://inspire-award.org/registration. The award recipients receive prizes that include a one-year membership to his/her King County senior center. Each individual who nominates one of the five recipients receives a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card.
For more information about Sound Generations (formerly Senior Services), visit www.soundgenerations.org.