The residents of Prairie Point, an apartment community located just a few minutes away from the hearts of Merrillville and Crown Point, converged at the community clubhouse on the evening of August 16 for a block party. Featuring free food, a bags tournament, plenty of games, raffles, and a wide variety of prizes – the festivities proved to be a big hit.
“Our residents are our top priority. Without them we wouldn’t even have a business to run,” said Jennifer Coleman, Weiss Entities community manager for Prairie Point. “We just want to show our appreciation for them. This is a fun way to get people to engage with one another, have some fun without needing to pay anything, and gives us another opportunity to spend some time with our residents and build a real 1-on-1 rapport with them.”
Weiss Entities, who manage Prairie Point along with a number of other apartment communities, organized the block party. A summer intern actually sparked the idea, and the rest of the Prairie Point team helped bring it to life.
“She organized the bones of it and we helped add additional games and fun little events for the residents to participate in,” Coleman said. “This is the second event that I’ve been a part of as Prairie Point’s manager. The first one was a taste testing that brought out a large crowd. People are really excited for today. We've heard a lot of chatter about the raffles and food.”
Every resident that attended enjoyed a free meal from Big Mike’s Food Trailer, as well as entry into a series of raffles for gift cards to restaurants such as Panera Bread, Applebee’s, Golden Corral, and more. Some attendees took part in a number of games, such as bingo and a frozen t-shirt contest where contestants raced to unpack, unfold, and put on an icy shirt.
The cornhole/bags tournament also offered a major prize – a Visa gift card. In a twist, the teams were randomized, with some players meeting each other for the first time that same evening.
“We wanted to give people the opportunity to make new friends,” said Sabrina Reyelts, leasing consultant for Weiss Entities. “We’re really excited to build a sense of community.”
Reyelts and Coleman are both new members of the Prairie Point staff, having joined the team after transferring over from The Lakes of Valparaiso about four months ago. They are already building strong connections with the residents, with events such as the block party offering even greater opportunities to strengthen those bonds.
“Events like this are one of my favorite things to do in my line of work,” said Reyelts. “It’s really important for our staff to have a good relationship with our residents. We’re not just here to make money off the apartments. We want to improve their lives and be a real community.”
To learn more about Prairie Point Apartments, visit prairiepointapartments.com. For further information about Weiss Entities and the other properties it manages, visit weissentities.com.