Karen Cooney wanted one more ride.

The 83-year-old Canton Township resident has been on cruises and gone ziplining, but the one experience she kept coming back to was horseback riding. On Monday, July 27, Cooney climbed into the saddle at Willowtree Stables in Romulus, fulfilling a wish she'd carried for years, according to a WDIV Local 4 report.

The ride happened through "Adventure by Waltonwood," a company-sponsored program at Waltonwood Cherry Hill, the senior living community on Cherry Hill Road in Canton's Cherry Hill Village where Cooney lives. The program gives residents a way to pursue bucket-list experiences they thought were behind them.

Waltonwood launched the initiative in January 2022. Each neighborhood within a Waltonwood community receives annual funding to support multiple resident adventures, according to a company announcement at the time. Life enrichment managers plan and carry out the experiences, and residents, families, or staff can suggest ideas.

Lindsay Charlefour, director of life enrichment for Waltonwood Communities, described the program's philosophy when it launched in January 2022: it encourages residents to pursue experiences meaningful to them, going beyond standard group-based programming. Randy LeMaster, senior regional director of operations, said at the same announcement that the company wanted to "directly support the dreams of our residents."

Past adventures at other Waltonwood communities have included a helicopter ride, a day working at a florist shop, an overnight beach trip, a family reunion arranged via Zoom, and attending a grandchild's college sports game, according to a Waltonwood blog post.

Cooney's ride took place at Willowtree Stables, a full-service equestrian facility at 16562 Merriman Road in Romulus. WDIV Local 4 photojournalist Jacob Nagel captured the experience on video.

Waltonwood Cherry Hill, operated by Singh Senior Living, is located at 42600 Cherry Hill Road in Canton. Residents or families can reach the community at 734-335-1102 to learn about the Adventure by Waltonwood program.