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84-year-old Edina resident climbed mountains to win the Seniors Expo™ Lifelong Dream Contest
Four others will also be honored for their achievements after age 60 When Edina resident Wayne Field turned 60, he did not use his age as an excuse to slow down. Instead he became a poet, world traveler and thrill-seeking adventurer. Field was 68 when he and his four sons climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. At 79, he became the second oldest person to do a 20-mile bike ride down the 14,110-foot Pike’s Peak summit. Less than two months later, he climbed up the same mountain in 20-1/2 hours. Field, an Owatonna High School graduate and a local business owner, is the grand prize winner of the 6th annual Seniors Expo™ Lifelong Dream Contest. The contest recognizes seniors in our community who fulfilled a lifelong dream after age 60. Field will receive a trip for two to Laughlin, Nevada during the expo, which takes place September 25-26, 2006 at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake. The Seniors Expo™ celebrates active seniors who want to get the most out of life. It features hundreds of senior-oriented products and services, informational seminars, and lively entertainment. “We received many inspirational stories from active seniors in our community,” says Robin Kocina, president of Mid-America Events & Expos, producers of the Seniors Expo. “We believe that 60 is a new beginning, it was a pleasure to find so many people who think the same way.” “Stay active and give some sort of contribution to society,” Field advises. “One of the biggest mistakes you can make is sitting around waiting to die. What you do for yourself dies with you. What you do for others lives on.” Staying true to that philosophy, Field plans to dedicate his next 15 years to speaking to and counseling young people about the dangers of obesity, the importance of making good grades, and how to stay out of trouble. “When I arrive at age 100, I’ll either retire or find a new challenge,” he says. Second place winner Lois Rogers of White Bear Lake was 79 years old when she traveled to China in 2000. A naturally curious person, she says she has been interested in China since reading books written by Pearl S. Buck. “It was the best trip ever,” she says. “We climbed the Great Wall, rode in a rickshaw, and shopped in Silk Alley. We even tasted and liked the Chinese beer.” Although she recently gave up her house, Rogers keeps her mind and body active by playing golf and a lot of bridge.” Tying for second place was Dorothy Blake Coppola, who earned her college degree in social work at age 64. Coppola is a former Edina resident. Now living in New York, she frequently spends time with a daughter in Burnsville. Coppola dropped out of high school in her junior year to earn money for her family. It was only after she married that she earned a GED. Coppola had six children, and moved frequently with her husband Tony. At each stop, she steadily worked on her degree. “I made sure my children got their school work done before I got mine done,” she recalls. She accumulated college credits in three states before finally getting her degree. Honorable mention recipient Shirley Kalpin-Olson of Cambridge, published her first book The Truth Shall Set You Free in 2005 when she was 66-years-old. It is a novel based on a dream she had 15 years earlier. “I got up in the middle of the night to jot it down while it was fresh in my mind,” she recalls. She published her second novel, Train Wreck in the Sierras, earlier this year. Kalpin-Olson says life doesn’t slow down after 60, it goes faster. “Life is great after 60, and even greater after 65!” she believes. 83-year-old Edina Resident Yvonne Halek, the other honorable mention recipient, began collecting blocks for her dream quilt in 1944 when she was newly married and her Navy husband Larry was sent overseas. Compiling materials was a challenge. During World War II, colorful floral material was hard to come by, and she badgered friends and family for suitable fabric. But life, including raising 7 children and working as a nurse, got in the way of her plans to finish it. For 62 years the materials were neatly tucked away for “someday”. With the help of her two daughters, the quilt was finally completed this year in time for Mother’s Day. The Seniors Expo™ showcases many active senior citizens. It also are packed with other products, services, destinations, speakers and entertainment geared toward people age 60 and older. Half price expo tickets are available by visiting www.101expos.com. Or call the expo hotline at 612-798-7256. The Seniors Expo™ is sponsored by KSTP-TV, KSTC-TV, KLBB, Ebenezer, Icelandair, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota, Medica, Humana, Stressfree Living, Best of Times, Bayer Diabetes Health Division, Step Forward from Diabetic Nerve Pain and Media Relations, Inc. Free Transportation information: Mystic Lake Casino Hotel provides transportation to and from the Mall of America. For a shuttle schedule, call 952-403-5370. Tourco is providing coach transportation for both days of the Seniors Expo, so leave your car at home and spend the entire day enjoying the fun! Reserve your space on the coach by calling 763-780-2985, or contact via e-mail at info@tourco.net. Groups of 10 or more can call Tourco for a private pick up. Tourco Pick-up times. The coach will follow the following pick-up route:Media Note: For additional information, or to schedule an interview with one of the winners, contact Media Relations, Inc. at 612-798-7220. 2006 Seniors Lifelong Dream Contest Winners
Grande Prize: Wayne Field, Edina Second Place (tie): Lois Rogers, White Bear Lake; Dorothy Coppola, temporary Burnsville resident. Honorable Mentions: Shirley Kalpin-Olson, Cambridge; Yvonne Halek, Edina. |
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