“And the jimmy goes to…!”
On February 22, Capri hosted our 2nd annual jimmy awards. This Capri awards program recognizes community staff members who exemplify our mission and values and is named after our founder, Jim Tarantino. In 2022, when the program was first developed, Jim was approached to see if he would allow us to use his family and friend nickname, Jimmy. To us, Jimmy, was a perfect name for the program because it embodied who we are as an organization – family, familiarity and fun.
Jim loved to bring people together and he was always ready to celebrate and raise a glass, so when he said yes to the jimmy’s, we were all in. The inaugural 2022 award program was so well received that we expanded the program in 2023 across all departments.
To earn a jimmy, we looked for those individual employees who strive for more, take risks, think differently and hold themselves to a higher standard. The jimmy awards recognize those who meet that criteria.
Some awards were based on individual performance with specific metrics, others were completely nomination-based and others were a combination of the two. All recipients were required to have worked at least one calendar year in their role. The exception was the difference maker award, this nomination award recognized individuals hired in 2023 who made a significant contribution to their community in a short time.
The ceremony itself included the community leader at each property and those who were nominated. We were thrilled to invite care team members who represented every aspect of community life. The specialness of the event added an element of drama. Through the power of technology, all the communities were able to watch a livestream of the ceremony. Communities also received a “jimmy-in-a-box” kit with an assortment of fun decorations and prizes to host their own watch parties. This allowed everyone to join and cheer on their nominated colleagues.
Like any good party, there was a hiccup or two. Our lunch delivery was late so, in true Capri enjoy life fashion, we pivoted and ate cake as our first course!
It takes special people who happily, lovingly and carefully care, and serve people. The jimmy’s allow us to take a few hours to laugh, celebrate and enjoy life together so we can then go back energized to spread more joy throughout all of Capri. Congratulations to all our 2023 nominees and winners!
