Life Care Center of Sparta just celebrated a big milestone for their efforts in the community: 25 years of operation.
August 19 marked two-and-a-half decades of dedicated service in the county, and the celebration was an exciting one. With guest speakers such as Beecher Hunter, the former president of Life Care Centers of America, the staff, guests, and residents all got to commemorate a long history of service.
Justin Freeman, the new executive director at Life Care, began the event with a speech.
“25 years ago our community came together for a ribbon cutting ceremony,” Freeman said. “It was a day of high celebration because Sparta and White County had long waited for a place like this. The vision was clear: to meet a deep need in our community. Twenty-five years later, it is safe to say that vision was realized.”
Freeman finished his speech by saying, “Let us not celebrate the building but the people that have made Sparta Life Care what it is.”
Freeman then introduced Hunter, who has been involved personally with Life Care Center of Sparta, but he was also the president of the entire Life Care Centers of America for 14 years. While he retired from the position in 2020, he has stayed active and involved in their continued progress.
Hunter talked about his involvement with this location since the beginning before he was even president of Life Care Centers. He has even had members of his family live at the center before, so he personally knew how well they have done and who far they have come. Hunter also brought up a heart-warming story, where he was invited to the 109th birthday of one of the center’s guests. After that, he was then invited to the 110th, and then the 111th.
Talking personally to those staying at the center, Hunter said, “Those in this room? You are a special person. I hope you know that you are a special person. Life Care Center of Sparta is one of the premiere centers in all of Life Care. That makes it very special and a great place to live.”
Latessa Morris, the former executive director for the center, also arrived to give her support to the event. She gave thanks to the staff members, particularly those who had been with the center for the longest, and she proudly shared that the facility was ranked in the top 12 in the entire state for nurse assisted living.
The last speaker was Travis Hillis with Life Care Centers of America. He remembered doing the first orientation classes for the center back in 2000, and he reflected fondly on the center’s growth and continued commitment, saying, “I am personally proud to be here and proud to see all you’ve done.”
After all the speeches, staff and residents enjoyed the afternoon together with a nice, big cake to share. Life Care Center of Sparta has been here for decades, and the staff all have the same sentiment: they hope to be there for the next big anniversary.
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