Holiday Retirement Launches Bedtime "Story Drive" to Re-Ignite Cross-Generational Storytelling

LAKE OSWEGO, OR--(Marketwired - May 27, 2015) - Remember those tales your grandparent would tell you before bed that captured your imagination, taught you valuable life lessons, and built warm, everlasting memories? Holiday Retirement remembers and has launched a national "story drive" to collect those original tales, anecdotes, and fables that have been handed down from generation to generation.

The leading senior living provider invites every generation, from seniors to children, to share their stories at sharebedtimestories.com. A selection of the stories submitted will be published in an illustrated children's book available this winter.

"We have the good fortune of hearing marvelous and imaginative stories from our residents each and every day as they share them with children, grandchildren, and members of our Holiday family," said Kai Hsiao, president and CEO at Holiday Retirement. "We want to ensure these stories don't get lost. That's why we're thrilled to host the sharebedtimestories.com initiative."

Because digital media have become the predominant communications platform for Americans, less time is spent telling and reading stories. According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American reads only 19 minutes a day, and teenagers spend a meager 4.2 minutes a day reading. At the same time, a report from Nielsen shows that the average American adult spends 11 hours per day with digital media.

Recording stories and sharing them with younger generations is vital to preserving family legacy. Without capturing family stories, oral history can be lost in three generations, according to an expert from the National Archives.

Holiday Retirement is accepting story submissions until Friday, July 17, 2015. Individuals interested in submitting a story can find tips for gathering an original story from an older adult and turning it into a publishable tale at sharebedtimestories.com. Once on sale, all book proceeds will benefit the National Center for Families Learning, a charity dedicated to helping improve family literacy.

The children's book produced from the submissions will include a selection of the stories and also serve as a tool to help children gather their own tales from different generations. A resource found at the close of the book will offer a how-to guide to help children encourage older friends and relatives to share their stories.

"We want to create opportunities for people of different generations to sit down and connect in a meaningful way," said Jamison Gosselin, vice president of marketing, communications, and resident enrichment at Holiday Retirement. "This initiative not only captures stories, it creates an outcome -- a book -- that adults and seniors can share with the children in their lives for years to come."

How to submit
Visit sharebedtimestories.com to submit a story. All story submissions must be no longer than 600 words. All stories must be original; no copyrighted material will be accepted. Adults may submit stories on behalf of children under age 13. Read the rules and regulations for the terms of the campaign. Individuals whose stories are selected will be notified at the close of the campaign in July 2015. For questions about the submission process, contact sharebedtimestories@gmail.com.

About Holiday Retirement
Since 1971, Holiday Retirement has endeavored to provide its signature "Holiday Touch" to residents and their families. Today, Holiday is a trusted name in senior living and provides security, comfort, and value to independent seniors seeking a fulfilling lifestyle. Holiday operates more than 300 retirement communities, making it the second largest senior housing operator in the United States. For more information about Holiday Retirement, please call 800-322-0999 or visit www.holidaytouch.com.