Partnerships
The Alzheimer’s Association
The not-for-profit Alzheimer’s Association is on a mission to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia, and The Sharon at SouthPark has a longstanding tradition of sponsoring the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s. In 2021, The Sharon at SouthPark was the Walk’s #1 team in Charlotte and the #13 team in the nation.
“We believe in our support of the Alzheimer’s Association so strongly that we sponsor our local Walk and want to be proactive in our fundraising and awareness efforts,” says The Sharon at SouthPark’s Director of Vitality and Well-being, Jessica Bourque. “Every day we are impacted by this terrible disease.”
ArtPop Street Gallery
ArtPop Street Gallery is an arts nonprofit organization in Charlotte focused on showcasing local artists, fostering creative success, and making art accessible to all. They introduced us to ArtPop and Cities Program Class of 2020 artist Laurie Smithwick, who was commissioned to do the art in Anne O. Moffat Park. Take a look at a drone video of her beautiful and colorful bubble mural: https://www.artpopstreetgallery.com/meet-the-artists/laurie-smithwick-sidewalk-mural-for-moffat-park
InReach
InReach, another nonprofit organization, provides services to and empowers those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition to being one of the sponsors of their annual Dream Makers Luncheon, The Sharon at SouthPark supports a number of individuals with developmental disabilities aged 60+ who both work at and live in our lifeplan community.
SouthPark Association of Neighborhoods (SPAN)
Our dear friends and community neighbors from SPAN secured a Placemaking Grant for art from the City of Charlotte. Then, they connected us with ArtPop Street Gallery to discover Laurie Smithwick, who created the mural in Anne O. Moffat Park that The Sharon at SouthPark built and maintains.
The SouthPark Association of Neighborhoods (SPAN) is a non-profit organization established in 2017 to advocate on behalf of the surrounding 43+ residential neighborhood and condominium associations within the SouthPark area. In addition to a board of directors, the organization has several committees that coordinate a variety of projects in the SouthPark area.
SouthPark Community Partners
The Sharon at SouthPark is just one of the sponsors of SouthPark After Five, a series of free concerts held in nearby Symphony Park and organized by SouthPark Community Partners.
Established in 2022, the independent not-for-profit organization SouthPark Community Partners is the result of a public-private partnership to lead the advancement of SouthPark by driving economic vitality, creating memorable experiences, and ensuring an extraordinary quality of life. As they share on their web site, “We provide professional management of the SouthPark Municipal Service District (MSD-6) through an annual contract with the City of Charlotte. Our work includes advocacy, community engagement, economic development, marketing and events, placemaking, and urban planning.”
UNC Charlotte and Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation
The Sharon at SouthPark provides funding for five graduate assistants to conduct health screenings at seven senior centers across Charlotte/Mecklenburg County. Under the leadership of Dr. Trudy Moore-Harrison (UNC DEPARTMENT of Applied Physiology, Health and Clinical Sciences), the goal of the health screening program is to “determine an individual’s risk for disease by providing a comprehensive panel of physiological tests and recommending potential lifestyle modifications that reduce risk.”
The program has had a tremendous impact, engaging over 3,000 older adults in this area.