When Touchmark at the Ranch Executive Vice President Tom Biel initiated construction of the senior retirement community project in Prescott, he made a pledge to the greater community.
“We pledge to all the people who live in this area that Touchmark will become a strong contributing and supportive member of all aspects of the Quad Cities Area. We want to be known as a good neighbor and friend to all who live here, not just our future residents.”
Biel and his Touchmark colleagues are demonstrating that pledge had merit.
Musicians in the Prescott POPS Symphony Orchestra “Music Memories” program are benefiting from the Touchmark Foundation’s philanthropy, and so are students in the Yavapai College Nursing Program.
Support For Music Memory Musicians
More than 2,200 elementary students from throughout Yavapai County – two groups of 1,100 each – were treated to concert performances featuring contemporary and classical symphonic music. Approximately 50 Prescott POPS orchestra musicians, led by director Joe Place, played for their young audience in the Performing Arts Center at Yavapai College on Thursday morning, Feb. 23.
When Touchmark executives learned the musicians – many of whom are students and others of whom have jobs – had volunteered their talent for more than five hours, Biel and his colleagues decided to reward the musicians by providing them with food and beverages throughout the morning.
“This is the first time in 22 years that a local business has acknowledged the talent and time of the musicians with such a generous gesture,” said Music Memory organizer Fran Willes.
Yavapai Nursing Program Get Foundation Support
Consistent with its stated mission, “To enhance the needs of seniors,” the Touchmark Foundation has made a second contribution to the nursing program at Yavapai College.
Biel said of that donation, “The YC nursing program has an important role today, especially with the graying of America. Providing more careers in long-term care will be critical to our county to serve the Boomer generation and beyond.”
Biel noted that Arizona was among the 10 Western states and one Canadian province where Touchmark senior communities are located. Those states receive support from the Touchmark Foundation, primarily to provide scholarships to students pursuing geriatric nursing degrees. Founded in 2002 as a 501(c)(3) corporation by Touchmark Chairman and CEO Werner G. Nistler and his wife, Golva, the foundation is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon. Nistler has said the foundation chose to provide funding for nurses in 2015, because nearly 100,000 nursing candidates were turned away at schools that didn’t have resources.
When YC Nursing Program Director Mary Brown accepted the latest check from Biel, who represented the Touchmark Foundation, she said, “We’re proud at YC that we were selected for this donation. We have 15 dedicated faculty and staff, all dedicated to providing our rigorously selected students with rigorous schooling that prepares them for their degrees and certificates as associates of applied science-nursing.”
On the faculty at YC for the past four years, Brown said she anticipates significant growth in the nursing program.
Biel said he is confident that as Touchmark at the Ranch attracts more and more residents, support for educational and health related programs will continue to grow.
We all benefit from living in a vibrant community that offers its residents so many positive benefits which we all can enjoy,” he said. QCBN
By Ray Newton, QCBN
Photo by Ray Newton
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