Retirement Community Hosts Walk Against Ageism

In 1979, Friendship Village of Bloomington retirement community set up shop in the Twin Cities. Its mission was simple — to provide local older adults with a liberating lifestyle. Having served thousands of families since, the community celebrated its 40th anniversary on Monday, June 17, by hosting a walk against ageism, which is age-based prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. Dubbed the “Age Is Just a Number Walk,” the event kicked off at the community’s 8100 Highwood Drive location in Bloomington.

Participants included Friendship Village residents, team members, and friends and neighbors from the wider Bloomington area. Instead of typical race numbers, the group wore runner’s numbers displaying their ages as a show of empowerment. Part of the warm-up exercise included an inspiring message on functioning well at every age.

Through this event, Friendship Village set its sights on an overlooked but widespread issue. A report by Columbia University found significant incidences of ageism in health care, emergency services, the workplace, media, marketing and more. The Age Is Just a Number Walk aimed to shed light on this locally.