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| 15 August 2025 | |
| Members |
State, county and local leaders gathered at Oakwood Village’s Prairie Ridge campus on Wednesday, July 30 to mark a quarter century for this community that serves older adults.
In 2000, longtime local nonprofit Oakwood Village responded to growing demand with the launch of a new continuing care community on an 18-acre site 10 miles east of downtown Madison. Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge has expanded in the years since and now offers nearly 300 apartments, multiple stages of assisted living support, memory care, and skilled nursing. Residents also enjoy a gym, salon, outdoor spaces, a volunteer-run store, and multiple restaurants.
Dane County Executive Melissa Agard, Congressman Mark Pocan, and Madison Deputy Mayor Katie Crawley joined Oakwood leadership and residents for a joyful celebration in the campus’ Tree of Life Chapel. A highlight was the multiple residents in attendance who have lived at Prairie Ridge since its founding.
“Over the past quarter century, this campus has served as a cornerstone for countless families across Dane County,” Agard said. “... As County Executive, I’m especially grateful for partners like Oakwood Village, who share in our mission of building a Dane County where everyone can thrive.”
President and CEO Jan Hamilton-Crawford emphasized that Prairie Ridge is more than just buildings: It’s a living community of laughter, friendships, dedicated caregivers, and peaceful surroundings; a place where dignity and independence take center stage. The ceremony was a chance not just to reflect on the past, she said, but to renew a commitment to a future that prioritizes well-being and happiness.
“I am grateful today that our community, this greater Madison area, gets to have such a beautiful facility that continues to understand the needs of our community and the needs of the residents who come here,” Joy Mortensen-Wiebe, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America South Central Synod, said in a recorded message for those in attendance.
A group of residents who moved into Prairie Ridge in 2000 get together at the 25th anniversary celebration.
Dane County Executive Melissa Agard speaks at the 25th anniversary celebration of Oakwood Village’s Prairie Ridge campus in east Madison.
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