Spring Gardens Draper

What an incredible Pioneer Day celebration!

Today, we learned the names of our residents' 958 pioneer ancestors, representing the legacy of 151 wagon companies and 6 handcart companies. Seeing so many residents come together to honor those who sacrificed so much was truly inspiring.

One of the most meaningful discoveries was that 18 of those ancestors are shared among multiple residents in our community. That means some of our residents are actually distant cousins, connected through the same courageous men and women who helped settle the West. What a beautiful reminder that our community is more than neighbors—we're connected by history, heritage, and, in some cases, family. ❤️

As we look across this beautiful Salt Lake Valley, we're filled with gratitude for the brave men, women, and children who crossed the plains with faith, courage, and hope. Because of their sacrifices, we enjoy the blessings of this wonderful place we call home.
Today, we also celebrate the trailblazers among us.

A pioneer is someone with the courage to step into the unknown and make life better for those who follow.

We're grateful for every person in our community who has blazed a trail for future generations. We have all been blessed by those who came before us, and each of us has the opportunity to leave a legacy of faith, courage, and hope for those who come after.
We truly come from a great pioneer stock.
Happy Pioneer Day! ❤️

Draper Days Parade was so much fun!! We love our Draper community. Our residents had a blast and so did we!! We love our team and spring gardens family for participating in the fun!

Yesterday we celebrated “Christmas In July” it was fun to sing parody of Christmas songs, and share watermelon with Christmas cookie cutters, and a jeopardy game. Good times were had!!

We also did our “bingo store market!” It’s always a huge hit!

Today we went to see Young Washington and hit Chick-fil-A afterwards! We all felt very patriotic after and full of gratitude for America! We are so lucky 🍀

We visited the Utah museum at the capital yesterday! There are incredible stories and amazing artifacts to be seen! If you have time, you should definitely stop by and see it!

More fun Fourth of July Festivities! We did a special show about Alexander Hamilton with our residents, and had a dip in the pool to cool off with some refreshing drinks before dinner. It was an amazing way to kick off the 4th!

Happy fourth from our community to yours! We are grateful for our freedom and great country. Hope everyone celebrates big and honor those who paid the price for us. Happy weekend!

Introducing our new fearless leader! Mickey Hale as the new Executive Director of Spring Gardens Draper!

We’ve invested a great deal of time in finding the right leader for such an amazing community, and we couldn’t be more excited for him to join the team. We know he is going to make a tremendous impact, and we can’t wait to see all that he’ll accomplish

Mickey Hale is honored to join the Spring Gardens Draper family as Executive Director. He and his wife, Tara, have been married for over 31 years after meeting at church dances in Virginia. Together they have five children, two grandsons, two sons-in-law, and are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first granddaughter in January.

Mickey is the sixth of eleven children, an upbringing that gave him a deep appreciation for community, diverse personalities, and the value of making every person feel seen and heard. He served a two-year church mission in Rome, Italy, served his country in the United States Air Force, and graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Behavioral Science and Health. He and Tara have lived in 13 states and visited all 50 together. Mickey has also devoted over 30 years to church service and spent more than 20 years coaching youth sports, experiences that deepened his love for mentoring and helping others grow.

Mickey's leadership style is rooted in servant leadership and genuine curiosity about people, their stories, their cultures, and what makes them uniquely themselves. He believes that great teams are built when people feel valued, encouraged, and inspired to grow. His goal is simple: to create an environment where residents live with purpose and joy, and where every team member is supported in becoming the best version of themselves. That philosophy aligns naturally with Avista's mission of spreading kindness and enriching the lives of those we serve.

When he's not working, Mickey and Tara enjoy going on walks together, and Mickey enjoys watching sports, a good western or a classic slapstick comedy. He loves 1980s alternative music, The Cure especially, and will never turn down brick-oven pizza, great Cajun food, or really any good meal. He's a lifelong sports fan and can be found cheering on the Utes, the Corner Canyon Chargers lacrosse team, and the Atlanta Braves.

Mickey is grateful for the strong foundation that has been built at Spring Gardens Draper and looks forward to honoring that legacy while continuing to cultivate and grow the community, its culture, and its people for years to come.