01/28/2026
A wonderful message to my Stoney Brook Cove Team from my Director of Maintenance Bill Chasteen
I want to take a moment to speak directly to each of you — not as the Director of Maintenance, not as someone planning a bike ride, but as someone who stands beside you in this building every day and sees what you do.
You all are doing an incredible job.
And I don’t just mean the tasks you complete or the routines you follow. I mean the things most people don’t see — the emotional weight you carry, the little victories you help create, and the quiet moments that define what real caregiving actually looks like.
You are the ones who steady a hand when memories wobble.
You are the ones who offer reassurance when a resident is frightened and can’t explain why.
You are the ones who smile through heartbreak when a daughter asks her mother, “Do you know who I am?”… and the mother looks at you, not her.
We all witness things here that the outside world never truly understands.
The confusion.
The fear.
The frustration.
The heartbreak when someone calls their own child “a stranger.”
The pain families carry — sometimes quietly, sometimes openly — and the way you hold space for them when they need strength they can’t find on their own.
I see you doing all of this.
And that is why I’m asking you to join Team Stoney Brook for the Ride to End ALZ.
Not because you’re a “joiner.”
Not because you need another thing on your plate.
Not because anyone expects you to ride miles or be an athlete.
I’ll be honest with you:
Last year, when I signed up for the ride, everyone who knew me just about fell out of their chair. It’s not “my” thing. I don’t join groups. If I want to ride 50 miles, I’ll go do it on my own without a sign‑up form.
But this… this is different.
This isn’t about being a joiner.
It’s about showing up.
Showing up for our residents.
Showing up for the families who trust us.
Showing up for each other.
Showing up because we see things others don’t — and we feel things that can’t be put into charts or care plans.
We ride because Alzheimer’s is not some far‑off issue.
It is in our halls.
In our dining room.
In our daily conversations.
In the eyes of people we care about.
And in the hearts of the families standing beside them.
Team Stoney Brook isn’t about who pedals the fastest.
It’s about standing together as the people who fight this disease on the front lines every single day.
If you want to walk, walk.
If you want to ride a little, ride a little.
If you want to cheer, cheer.
If you want to simply be part of the team and show support — then that’s more than enough.
Joining the team is just another way of saying:
“I care. And I’m here.”
And that’s what we do at Stoney Brook.
We show up — even when it’s hard, even when it hurts, even when nobody sees the tears in the supply closet or the deep breath you take before walking back into the room.
I’m proud of you.
I’m grateful for you.
And I truly hope you’ll stand with me and with each other as part of Team Stoney Brook.
Let’s show the world what we already show our residents:
Heart.
Commitment.
Compassion.
Presence.
And the courage to keep showing up.
— William
