Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. It is the only cause of death within the top 10 list that currently cannot be prevented, cured or slowed. Many Americans are working to change that. Yardi client Senior Star of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has joined in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Senior Star operates 14 communities with a total of 2,200 apartments in six states. A small but mighty force in the senior housing industry, the company is making its mark on Alzheimer’s research and awareness.  When Yardi reported on Senior Star in 2014, the company raised $255,000 through The Walk to End Alzheimer’s®. In 2017, the company successfully raised $600,000. In the last five years, the organization has exceeded $2.3 million in funds raised. Associates from throughout the organization raised funds and put in the miles to make it happen. Tyler Hanes, Project Director at Senior Star, is one such associate. He has participated in the walk for six years. His work with memory support communities encouraged his participation in the walks. In 2010, Senior Star acquired its first memory support community. Hanes frequently visited with the residents and their families. The experience had a profound impact on his understanding of the disease. “I had always been aware of Alzheimer’s, but I never fully understood the magnitude of the disease until I was touched that year by so many of our remarkable residents struggling with Alzheimer’s. I was initially encourage by Robert (Bob) Thomas, one of the Senior Star founders, to join the Walk To End Alzheimer’s and I’m certainly grateful for his words of wisdom,” says Hanes. Hanes received support from as far away as Toronto. “It’s always inspiring to know the people we work alongside, no matter their geographical location, share...

When was the last time that you hopped on a bike and cycled nearly 51 miles? Team members  from the Yardi office in Sydney recently completed the 82km bike ride fundraiser, MS Sydney to the Gong. The course traces the southeastern coast of Australia, from bustling Sydney to beautiful Wollongong. The feat of endurance and passion raised funds for those living with multiple sclerosis. Graeme Pearse, Shaunak Kelkar, Zane George, Charobelle Campos and Chris Mumford were among the Yardi representatives. Most of them were cycling novices. “Before getting to the event, it’s important to note that we are novice riders, amateur at best,” shares Mumford. “Some of the team didn’t even own a bike when I first sent an email out to see who was interested. But a bit of training together gave the necessary confidence that we could do the distance.” The iconic race is worth the effort. About 10,000 cyclists get the opportunity to tour spectacular coastline south of The Harbour City. Most importantly, they are able to raise money for a debilitating illness that affects more than 23,000 Aussies. With compassion in their hearts and training as their foundation, the Yardi team prepared to overcome the odds. The odds weren’t favorable. At 7:30am, the Yardi team congregated near the start line, close to the back of the pack along with other beginners. The cyclists, amateurs and professionals, huddled against the cold rain which would last for long periods throughout the ride. Mumford says, “That said, the mood was upbeat with everyone excited about the challenge ahead and being part of something big and knowing this was raising money to a very worthwhile cause. The start, finish and route throughout was lined with many people cheering us on and many of those were living with...

This October, Bozzuto enlisted its staff and residents to #PaintOurTownPink – and came up big in the battle against breast cancer. The Maryland-based developer and apartment manager is well known in the real estate industry for its stellar social media marketing, and the company used its reach online to produce a very successful campaign. The philanthropic effort is a great example of how property management firms can bring together residents as they rally to support a cause. When all donations were tallied, more than $21,000 was raised for the cause. The #PaintOurTownPink effort had multiple access points, documented on the website http://bozzutopink.com/ Social Media: The hashtag #PaintOurTownPink was promoted and used on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to document the many different ways that Bozzuto communities, residents and employees were participating in the campaign. On Wednesdays We Wear Pink: Both residents and employees were encouraged to “pink out” on each Wednesday in October to show support for breast cancer awareness and fundraising. Pennies for Pink: Bozzuto offices and community front desks collected spare change to be donated to Susan J. Komen Passionately Pink. Donation Portal: A link on the website led directly to the Bozzuto fundraising page for the Susan J. Komen Passionately Pink campaign. The Instagram photos posted demonstrate the breadth of participation and particular creativity that Bozzuto communities brought to the fundraising effort. With a month to put on creative events, encourage residents to drop off spare change and get the word out to the general public,  wide variety of images were posted. See them here. Yardi salutes longtime client Bozzuto for their efforts on behalf of this very worthy cause....