Walk, Run or Roll 2020: A Tribute to Lacey Aylward

Six years ago, Jennifer and Letitia, two brand new employees of what was then Greeley Center for Independence, came up with the idea of hosting a 2K/5K Fun Run to raise awareness and funds for the important work our organization does. Others quickly jumped on board, and the organization’s Walk, Run or Roll, named to signify that people in wheelchairs could and should participate, was launched! Read Walk, Run or Roll 2020: A Tribute to Lacey Aylward…

The annual Walk, Run or Roll, a race for all abilities, has become a signature event for our organization and is known for its inclusive nature and the amazing community spirit it engenders, providing an opportunity for the people we serve to interact with members of the community at large. It is hard to overstate what this event means to the Adeo family. Each year, nearly all the residents of Stephens Farm and Hope Apartments look forward to participating in this event. The morning of, residents and staff alike excitedly don their race t-shirts and prepare to showcase the best of our organization.

Therefore, in light of the current pandemic, we present Adeo’s Walk, Run or Roll 2020, a two-week virtual event!

The event kicks off on Saturday, August 22 and goes through Saturday, September 5. Participants can register here, choosing a race distance that best fits their lifestyle, and they will have 2 weeks to either walk, run or roll their way to their mileage goal. New this year…cycling counts! Adeo will support all our residents to reach their mileage goals, and we can’t wait to post photographs of their achievements alongside those of race participants from across the country.

This year we want to honor to Lacey Aylward, a valued member of our Adeo family, who passed away on July 12th. Lacey loved participating in the Walk, Run or Roll! Before she came to live at Hope Apartments in 2016, Lacey was living in a nursing home. At the time, she said she felt “frail, scared and sick”. Still, it was her hope that, if she could have her own living space and the services she needed to stay healthy, she would be able to build the life she wanted. There were many people in her life at the time who did not believe she would achieve her goal. Lacey proved them all wrong!

With the assistance of her support network, including many of our staff, Lacey took charge of her own life and began making her own decisions – whether those around her approved or not! She got a job, got married, drove herself where she wanted, and wrote poetry, among other things.

We are so glad to have been a part of making Lacey’s last few years what she wanted and are endlessly grateful that our work, at its core, is about creating a space for people to be who they want to be. We dedicate Walk, Run or Roll 2020 to Lacey’s memory.

Join us in honoring Lacey and all the people we serve by signing up to participate, sponsor a resident or make a donation.

Dr. Sarita Reddy has served as Adeo’s Executive Director since January 2014. She is driven by a deep belief that every person has gifts and talents to offer the world, and is fierce in her conviction that if the people Adeo serves are provided opportunities to share their gifts with the community, they will strengthen the fabric of the community as a whole.