April 7, 2026
One hundred fifty people, ages 56 – 98, from 12 southeastern independent senior living communities gathered at Hayes Barton Place Senior Living Community in Raleigh, NC to compete in the 5th annual Liberty Games.
The Olympic-style event is a signature experience of Liberty Senior Living, a leader in the senior living industry. For three days and over two dozen events, seniors vied for the top spot on the leaderboard.
The event had a spectacular opening ceremony featuring a motivational keynote address by Charlie Houchin, Olympic Gold Medalist. This was followed by a spirited introduction of the competing teams which in addition to Hayes Barton Place included those from The Barclay at SouthPark and Brightmore of South Charlotte in Charlotte, NC; Brightmore of Wilmington and Carolina Bay at Autumn Hall in Wilmington, NC; Pisgah Valley in Candler NC, Quail Haven Village in Pinehurst, NC; South Bay at Mount Pleasant in Charleston, SC; The Templeton of Cary in Cary, NC; Wellington Bay in Wellington, FL; The Carlisle Palm Beach in Lantana FL, and Preserve at Fairfield Glade, Crossville TN.
New this year, the Liberty Games included a philanthropic component that added another meaningful layer to the competition. A raffle held during the event raised $3,000 in support of Special Olympics North Carolina. Liberty Senior Living matched that amount, rounding the donation off to $6,000. “We are impressed and inspired by the athletes of Special Olympics and proud to support their mission,” said Haley Kinne-Norris, Home Office Director of Life Enrichment and Wellness, who coordinated the Liberty Games.
Another new initiative introduced last year, was the involvement of the corporate home office team members with the Games. They traveled to Raleigh and volunteered, helping with set up and scoring of events, managing equipment and logistics, and interacting with the residents. “This adds a nice element to the Games,” said Kinne-Norris. “With this added support, the community team members are better able to dedicate their time to their residents, cheering them on and witnessing their accomplishments. And it’s a testament to the Corporate-wide support for this event.”
The overall winners of the competition were: 1st Place: The Barclay, 2nd Place: Hayes Barton Place and 3rd Place: Carolina Bay. But trophies were not the only win at the competition. Women from two different communities who had met when they were 15 years old reunited in friendship at the Liberty Games. Cookie and Arlene bonded on the first day, and during the next three, they found the common elements of their lives and the determination to nurture their relationship despite the distance between them. Many new friendships were made among competitors from competing sister communities. Many friendships made during previous competitions were reunited.
Athletes, many of whom have been training for months (if not the entire year since last year’s Games), participated in various events. The athletic competitions included bocce ball, putting, swimming, billiards, table tennis, shuffleboard, a water balloon toss off a fourth-floor balcony towards a bull’s eye on the ground, and more.
In addition to the physical events, the Liberty Games included trivia, chess, and other cognitive competitions in which the residents’ minds were challenged.
The Liberty Games were designed to crown champions and, even more importantly, foster a sense of community, camaraderie, and active engagement. The Liberty Games embody a corporate-wide commitment to promoting a culture of wellness, where staying engaged and active is a priority no matter your age.
“Faith, family and fitness” are the priorities for Ginny Bredeck, 98, she shared, “God gave me one body, and it is my responsibility to take care of it.”
She certainly showed us how by competing in six of the events in the Liberty Games.
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