Dylan Brucki with many of his 100 surrogate grandparents at Elm Park Estates, celebrating his official signing with Liberty University. Photo courtesy of Richard Brucki

Yes, it’s true. Elm Park Estates, Roanoke’s home for gracious independent retirement living for more than 22 years, has a resident who will be playing football for Liberty University this coming fall.

No, it’s not your typical resident. What you may know is that Dylan Brucki, Cave Spring High School’s All-State Offensive Lineman the last two years, recently signed his official National Letter of Intent to become a Liberty University student athlete. What you may not know is that Dylan has been a full-fledged resident of Elm Park Estates since July 2010 when he moved to Roanoke with his family. Dylan’s parents, Richard and Laurie Brucki, are the managers of Elm Park Estates, and the family actually lives in an apartment within the community.

When not playing football or attending school, Dylan works as a part-time waiter at Elm Park Estates. He also volunteers a lot of his time assisting the residents with their computer needs, TV problems and other electronic issues and often helps them when they require some heavy lifting. He sometimes plays games with the residents and always enjoys some good old-fashioned conversation. The residents have in turn become big fans of his and have followed Cave Spring football and his career there closely. Several Elm Park residents even attended this past season’s Senior Night game to cheer on Dylan and the Knights.

“When my dad originally told me that we were not only moving, but would be living in a retirement home, I wasn’t very happy,” Dylan remembers. “But things for me couldn’t have turned out any better. I attend a really good school, I’ve made some wonderful friends, I have had the pleasure of playing for some amazing coaches, and I’ve formed some lifelong bonds with a lot of great teammates.

“And to top it all off, I have been so blessed to live with 100 of the most loving and inspirational people you could imagine. Knowing them has made me a better person and has made my life more complete. They have become as much a part of my family as my parents and siblings,” he added.

When asked what his friends think about his living with the senior citizens, Dylan smiles and says, “They think it’s pretty cool.”

All the residents of Elm Park Estates wish Dylan the very best as he enters this next phase of his life. To learn more about the wonderful residents and lifestyle at Elm Park Estates, call 540-989-2010, stop by for a visit at 4230 Elm View Road in Roanoke, or check out the website at www.elmparkestates.com.

– Submitted by Richard Brucki, Community Manager, Elm Park Estates