Alexandria, Va. – Argentum is proud to partner with Dream Flights, a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring America’s veterans and seniors through aviation, to create greater awareness and understanding of the program benefits and effectiveness among Argentum membership.
During a free 20-minute Dream Flight, veterans experience the freedom and exhilaration of soaring 1,000 feet in the air in an iconic, open-cockpit-biplane. Dream Flights was created in 2011 by Darryl & Carol Fisher out of their love for seniors and the aviation world. A Dream Flight event often allows generations of friends, members of the community and family, to come together to celebrate the achievements and sacrifices made by seniors and veterans.
The support of Dream Flights underscores the Argentum mission to promote choice, dignity, independence, and quality of life and care for seniors. Their service to seniors is an example of the type of life experience aging adults deserve as they continue to live and thrive.
“We are proud to support Dream Flights whose main mission is to offer these military veterans an opportunity to relive some of the most important times of their lives”, said James Balda, President & CEO of Argentum. “At Argentum, we believe that Dream Flights promotes and aligns with the dignity and autonomy our members and senior living providers offer an individual living in a senior living setting. It also gives us a chance to thank these veterans and seniors for their service.”
“Team members working in the senior housing industry are vital to achieving the foundation’s mission,” said Darryl Fisher, founder of Dream Flights and a third-generation senior living leader. “Together, we’re creating life-changing experiences for seniors who, for many, believe the best years of their lives are behind them. Like Argentum members, we know this isn’t true.”
Fisher, also an aviator, has flown thousands of seniors, the oldest 104, and has witnessed what he calls the Stearman’s “time machine” effect. “When a 90 or 100-year-old climbs into an open-cockpit biplane and soars 1,000 feet in the air, they’re feeling decades younger once they’re back on the ground,” he said. “There’s a sparkle in their eye, a spring in their step, and a burst of energy they haven’t experienced in a long time. Argentum’s support helps make this possible.”
Dream Flights has honored 6,000 veterans living in long-term care and independent living communities since 2011. As the organization makes these heroes’ wishes come true, Dream Flights inspires them to share their stories. The team collects, preserves and shares those stories of how they survived through times of great strife to remind us of our shared humanity, our connection to each other and the value of listening. Visit Dream Flights’ Facebook page @DreamFlightsOrg.
Dream Flights are always free. Anyone can nominate a veteran for a Dream Flight by visiting www.dreamflights.org/honor. Sponsorship and donation opportunities are available by visiting www.dreamflights.org/donate.
About Argentum:
Argentum is the leading national association exclusively dedicated to supporting companies operating professionally managed, resident-centered senior living communities and the older adults and families they serve. Since 1990, Argentum has advocated for choice, independence, dignity, and quality of life for all older adults.
Argentum member companies operate senior living communities offering assisted living, independent living, continuing care, and memory care services. Along with its state partners, Argentum’s membership represents approximately 75 percent of the senior living industry—an industry with a national economic impact of nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars and responsible for providing over 1.6 million jobs. For more information, visit www.argentum.org.
About Dream Flights:
Dream Flights is a non-profit organization established in 2011 to honor seniors and military veterans living in long-term care and independent living communities. Through corporate sponsors, donors, and individual donations, the foundation provides free Dream Flights in a Boeing Stearman biplane, the same aircraft used to train many military aviators in the late thirties and early forties.
