Ph: (989) 732-1122
Fax: (989) 731-2739
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Business Hours: 8 a.m. to Noon
12:30 to 4 p.m.
Monday - Friday
120 Grandview Blvd., Gaylord, Michigan  49735

Leave the Driving to Us!

~Eileen Godek, VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Although the trip program sponsored by the Otsego County Commission on Aging (OCCOA) has been around for several years, there are still many older adults in Otsego County who have never given it a try. Some, like Louise Koscielniak, weren’t even aware of it. She recently shared with me that she and her husband Leo participated in their first OCCOA-sponsored trip when they boarded the bus for the September 6th trip to see the Detroit Tigers play the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. She told me, “I found out about the trip at my Red Hat meeting.”

Mary Ann Skibinski said she saw a notice for the trip in the Prime Times edition of the Gaylord Herald Times and asked her husband, Bill, if he’d like to go. He said “yes” and she ended up going with him, as well as 14 of their friends! It was the first time in Comerica Park for both Skibinski and Koscielniak. “Our seats were great,” Koscielniak told me. “It started raining in the eighth inning, but we were under an overhang so we didn’t get wet.”

Not a lot of Walking
Michelle Dunkelberg, Special Events Coordinator, who organizes the trips, pointed out that many older adults have physical issues to contend with, such as bad knees and hips, arthritis, and other chronic ailments, which keep many of them away from activities that require a lot of walking. “Unfortunately, this shuts them out from doing the things they used to love to do, or even from trying new things,” she shared. “Our trips don’t involve a lot of walking which opens up more options for them.”

We just sat back and relaxed!
Koscielniak shared, “This trip was very convenient – especially for older adults.” She cheerfully told me. “We really enjoyed it. It was very relaxing to have someone else do the driving.” She also told me, “The group on the bus was very friendly. We just sat back and relaxed the whole ride down.” When they arrived, the Koscielniaks and other trip participants were pleasantly surprised that the driver dropped everyone off within a half a block from the ballpark. They also found that they didn’t have to walk very far to get to their seats.

You might make new friends!
Skibinski shared, “The trip was great! Bill and I had a wonderful time. Plus, the price was right!” She added, “We ended up meeting a lot of nice people – including a couple who live right down the street from us!”

Mary Tomaszewski and her husband, Syl, also went and, like Koscielniak, found the trip to be very convenient. I asked Mary to tell me about what she liked best. “Going with the group was nice,” she replied. “Everyone was very congenial and there was a lot of camaraderie,” she explained.

A real bargain!
Sharon and Roger Warnike first learned about the trip from a flyer they saw at the Gaylord Alten Zimmer Senior Center. “We hadn’t been to a Tiger ballgame in years,” Sharon told me. I asked her why they decided to take the trip. “The price was sure right and the Tigers were doing well,” she explained. She also added. “I’m not working any more and my husband is self employed but has the flexibility to rearrange his schedule. This just seemed like something we both could enjoy!” Sharon added that not having to drive at night or pay high gas prices, in addition to not having to walk very far to their seats made the trip very appealing. “Even though it rained, we didn’t let that spoil the trip for us. It was a real bargain!”

Someone to watch over you!
Every OCCOA trip is led by at least two trained volunteers. Frank and Myrna Jasinski, who led a similar trip to Comerica Park last year, were the volunteers in charge of this trip. “My wife and I volunteer for many things as a team,” said Frank. “We feel we’ve been very blessed and try to give back to the community as much as possible.” Jasinski said he loves to volunteer for older adults because he loves to hear their stories. He added, “If you just take a little time to listen, you can learn a lot!”

Hometown folks!
“One of the nice things about the OCCOA trip program is the camaraderie found among the people who go,” shared Jasinski. “Most of them are hometown folks,” he added. “Even if they don’t know each other, they have that community connection.” He also has observed that trip participants like having a structured event where everything is planned and they don’t have to worry about all the details they would have to work out if they were going to take a trip on their own. Jasinski pointed out, “The trips are all chaperoned, you don’t have to do a lot of walking, and if you need help, there’s always someone around.” He added, “These trips are great for those who physically can’t tolerate a lot of strenuous activity.”

Careful planning
Dunkelberg shared that a trip like the September Tiger ball game requires a lot of planning that often takes place months in advance. “Planning for this one began back in January,” she told me. Dunkelberg explained that the great seats the participants spoke of were chosen under the guidance of a Detroit Tigers account executive. She pointed out that the $39-per-person trip package price made the trip very appealing. “You can’t even drive downstate and back for that.” She added, “The trip price also included bus transportation, snacks and beverages, entrance into Comerica Park, and food vouchers in the park. The bus and volunteer driver were provided through a partnership OCCOA has with the Evangelical Free Church for its trip program.

Dunkelberg shared that in addition to the September ballgame, older adults in our community had an opportunity to see an area high school musical last March, travel to the Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids in May, pick blueberries on the Old Mission Peninsula, and go on a color tour in the Cheboygan area in October. Of course, she’s already busy planning trips for next year. Suggestions for future trips are always welcome!

If you would like to sign up for upcoming trips, please call 732-1122. Then just come and leave the driving to us!


 
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