Celebrating the Past, Serving the Future: Founders Day and the “60 in 60” Kickoff

On May 1, Bridgewater Retirement Community marked its 60th anniversary with a hands-on Founders Day of Service—one that perfectly captured the spirit of compassion and community that has defined BRC for six decades. This year’s celebration brought together 54 volunteers—including residents, team members, and board members— to complete 24 service projects across campus and throughout the local area.

From deep cleaning shared spaces to sprucing up gardens, assembling caregiver care packages, and shadowing frontline team members, the impact was visible in every corner of campus. A few projects reached even farther. Volunteers helped build wheelchair ramps in partnership with Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repair Program—an effort that now totals two completed ramps in the surrounding community, one in the City of Harrisonburg and one in Rockingham County, both originally started on last year’s Founders Day. In total, the event generated an estimated 96 hours of service—and likely more, as household residents helped assemble care packages and supported projects in their own ways.

The day concluded with a celebratory, community-wide picnic attended by more than 300 residents, team members, and board members—one of the largest gatherings BRC has ever hosted. During the event, BRC President Rodney Alderfer officially launched the “60 in 60” initiative. “Sixty years ago, our founders built BRC with a simple goal: to support one another,” Alderfer says. “That spirit of compassion is still the heartbeat of this place. The “60 in 60” initiative is how we honor our past while investing in the future—by showing up, lending a hand, and building something together.”

“60 in 60” is a yearlong commitment to complete 60 acts of service during BRC’s 60th year, extending its mission beyond campus and into the greater community it proudly serves. This initiative is a natural continuation of what has always made BRC special: a community of people who support each other, and who believe that every small act of kindness helps build a better future. Here’s to the first 60 years of compassion, innovation, and stewardship—and the many acts of service still to come.