Story by Debra McTaggart, Give 5 coordinator

After Phil Hyde, age 77, worked in private practice as a clinical psychologist for 43 years, he retired and was invited to move to Spain to be near his son’s family. “I want to take care of you in your old age,” his son said, “and it would be easier if you were in Spain.” So, Phil went to Spain. In just six weeks he figured out, “This is not for me. I don’t speak Spanish, and I miss my friends in Oklahoma City.” He realized he hadn’t prepared himself for retirement. He wondered what’s next that would give purpose and meaning to his life.
When he received an email announcing the Give 5 program hosted in Oklahoma City by Healthy Living OKC, a wellness center for people 50+ where he’s a member, it seemed perfect for him. “It is so miraculous and so touching to be able to go behind the scenes of nonprofit organizations to see what they do and how I can help. It is a dream come true – a godsend.”
Give 5 is an innovative program that launched this year in Oklahoma City that lets retirees (or near-retirees) see firsthand where the community needs are, and then helps them volunteer there. Give 5 holds classes with about 20 “students” who meet once a week for five weeks at Healthy Living OKC. They get on a bus at each meeting and visit with more than a dozen nonprofits to get a close look at organizations that serve people to “move the needle” in some way related to one of the biggest challenges in Oklahoma and Oklahoma City – mental health. The nonprofits explain their mission and pitch the opportunities they offer volunteers. In other words, Give 5 shows them the “why” and the “how” of volunteering, not just the “what” and “where.”
How Give 5 Gets Retirees to Volunteer
And the students, like Phil, often get hooked. In other cities where the program has been in place, hundreds have gone through the program and graduates end up volunteering 18 hours a month, on average.
Graduating from the program on April 18, Phil plans to volunteer with not just one, but five organizations who need his experience and expertise from all those years in private practice: Big Brothers Big Sisters, which matches volunteer mentors (Bigs) with children (Littles) who need help with self-esteem, decision-making, and other areas of life; Wings Special Needs Community, which works to enhance the lives of adults with developmental disabilities; Positive Tomorrows, a school and social services agency specifically for children and families experiencing homelessness to give kids stability and a quality education while giving their parents the support they need to create a better life; Family Builders, which works to stop the cycle of abuse and family violence by targeting the source of the abuse, the abuser, and providing him or her with tools for building healthy relationships, and TEEM (The Education and Employment Ministry) which is dedicated to breaking cycles of incarceration and poverty through education, personal development, and work readiness training.
Phil says, “I believe there is a place to use my listening and encouraging skills to help other people. For example, as a Big Brother I hope to interact with a young male in a way that I can help prevent him from getting derailed as he continues to grow up.”
Give 5 started in 2017 as the brainchild of Greg Burris, a former city manager of Springfield, Missouri and Cora Scott, director of public information and civic engagement for Springfield. The name Give 5 comes from conversations Burris had with retirees. When he’d asked if they’d like to volunteer, many said, “No,” thinking he wanted them to give 40-hours a week. Burris would respond: “How about five hours a month?” They’d always say: “Yes.”
Now Burris and Scott have expanded the Give 5 model to other communities. In Oklahoma City, Give 5 is hosted by Healthy Living OKC, a wellness center for age 50+ whose mission is to promote the health and wellbeing of adults age 50 and older by providing opportunities for physical activity, social engagement, and lifelong learning.
“We started the program in Oklahoma City in November 2021 by inviting more than 50 nonprofit organizations to an informational meeting,” said Debra McTaggart, the program’s coordinator for Healthy Living OKC, “and then early this year we began recruiting the volunteer participants. Our inaugural class began March 14 and graduation was April 18.”
Give 5’s McTaggart admits she failed at retirement; she retired two years ago and after cleaning out every closet at home—twice, she came into Healthy Living OKC to join and register for some activities like painting that she’d never had time to do in her past work life. A few days later when Healthy Living OKC learned of her professional background, they recruited her for their executive assistant position and then asked her to implement the Give 5 program.
“The program is awesome. I’ve followed the implementation process according to Burris and Scott, and it has worked like a charm. We found that the Give 5 program has been welcomed in Oklahoma City by our participating nonprofits. We recruit the talent for them, and they have a massive need for volunteers,” said McTaggart.
Key to the Give 5 program’s success is the volunteers matching their particular skills with the volunteer needs of nonprofits. Retirees who’ve gone through Give 5 don’t want to simply greet people at an event or send out mailings. They want to harness their experience and abilities for the greater good.
Put somewhat differently, volunteering is like dating — a search for the right match. Give 5 allows both parties to find the right fit.
As a result of learning about nonprofits in OKC during Give 5 program implementation, McTaggart, formerly a training developer and facilitator in her past career, has become a volunteer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) herself. She has been trained to deliver one of NAMI’s many education programs that helps ensure everyone affected by mental illness can build better lives.
3 Reasons Behind Give 5
The Executive Director for the host organization of the Oklahoma City Give 5, Claire Dowers-Nichols provided an explanation for the three social and economic forces behind the need for a program like Give 5:
America’s population is aging, with some 10,000 boomers turning 65 every day. Many of them are skilled and knowledgeable, but clueless about local volunteer opportunities. Nonprofits increasingly need to tap into their talents to accomplish their mission. “We find [older] people aren’t really sure what they could be doing,” Dowers-Nichols says. “Learning about nonprofits and volunteering can help restore that sense of purpose and identity that gives meaning to life.”
Meaningful volunteering keeps retirees connected to the community — critical for staving off the health threats of social isolation and loneliness that so many retired people face. “When you retire, your community involvement frequently decreases. It’s easy to become isolated,” says Dowers-Nichols. “Over the last few years we have learned more about the dangers of social isolation and loneliness among older adults and the benefits of engagement and purpose.”
The Benefits for Local Nonprofits
Getting skilled volunteers also helps the nonprofits expand their efforts. That’s been the experience at TEEM. “The Give 5 program participants have been a huge help to TEEM, and it all started during the program itself,” says Matt Staples, TEEM Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator. “Having the class tour our building and sit down with our participants greatly impacted the people we serve because it showed someone cared about them. Then days later, the graduates that chose TEEM helped us reach our goal of providing over 1,300 cards and cookies to incarcerated women on Mother’s Day. They have served us multiple times, helping organize our clothing closet and much more! We are thankful to the civic matchmaking program that is Give 5 for introducing us to those wonderful volunteers!”
The Next Class
Another class will be conducted this year and four classes are planned for 2024. Class 2 begins for the Give 5 program on September 13. Those wanting to volunteer as well as nonprofits who’d like to participate can apply at: https://healthylivingokc.com/programs/the-give-5-program/ (coming soon www.Give5OKC.com).

The Oklahoma Mobility Institute (OMI), a connected organization to the Oklahoma Transit Association (OkTA), has been awarded a $10,000 local coalition grant from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
“OMI is a relatively new organization, and we are honored to receive this funding from APTA to further our mission of helping to facilitate an unparalleled transportation ecosystem with advanced mobility connectivity through shared resources and interorganizational partnerships,” said OkTA Executive Director Andrea Ball.
The grant funding will be used along with seed money from OKTA to support a Mobility Summit Listening Session for the State of Oklahoma to learn what services and support are required by transit providers. It will help OMI to develop tactics to achieve its goals over the next three to five years to advance transportation equity, inclusion, and mobility access for all Oklahomans.
“OMI’s goals include reducing no-show rates for appointments to medical and social services, ensuring weekly food access options for each community, providing grant support and application assistance to public transportation providers, and promoting mobility coordination and coordinated use of federal transportation funding,” Ball said.
The funding will also fund an OMI website that will provide online access to mobility resources in Oklahoma.
“The future website address is www.okmobility.org, and we expect it to be completed this summer,” Ball added.
APTA provides grants to help the fight for public transportation. Generally, grants awarded to coalitions range from $5,000 to $10,000.

Controlling a sometimes-deadly respiratory virus is a step closer to reality following U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the first preventive vaccine for older adults, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists say.
The FDA this month approved a vaccine to prevent respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, in people aged 60 and older. The vaccine is made by the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to follow the FDA’s approval, clearing the way for RSV vaccines for older adults to be available in the U.S. this fall. Drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna are also in the late stages of developing RSV vaccines, including one for pregnant women.
“This is a major step, and even more progress against this virus appears to be on the horizon,” said OMRF physician-scientist Hal Scofield, M.D. “RSV annually kills thousands of seniors in the U.S. and has recently played a big part in stressing global health care systems, so this first vaccine approval is welcome news.”
RSV typically produces a cold-like illness, but it can cause lower respiratory infections like bronchiolitis and pneumonia. At greatest risk of RSV complications are older adults with chronic lung or heart disease, those with weakened immune systems, and young children. Scofield said the virus is “woefully underdiagnosed” in adults.
The CDC estimates that RSV leads to more than 60,000 hospitalizations and over 6,000 deaths among adults 65 years and older annually. According to GSK, in a clinical trial of 25,000 adults, its vaccine was more than 94% effective in preventing severe RSV.
GSK’s shot involves technology dating to the 1980s. Called a recombinant subunit vaccine, it is used in numerous immunizations, including those for hepatitis B and whooping cough.
OMRF scientist Susan Kovats, Ph.D., studies RSV. She is working to understand why the virus impacts children more frequently, with more than 2 million outpatient visits for children under age 5 annually, but generally hits older adults harder. The work is setting the stage for better treatments and will aid in vaccine design.
“There seems to be a correlation between virus load and age,” she said. “The preliminary data in our models of older adults shows that the older you are, the harder it is to eliminate the virus.”
Scofield and Kovats said the approval of the first vaccine for RSV is good news, as long as those eligible take advantage.
“Time will tell how widespread uptake of the vaccine will be,” said Scofield, “But for older adults most at risk of a bad outcome from RSV, I hope that getting vaccinated when it becomes will be an easy decision.”

Scammers are always finding new ways to steal your money and personal information by exploiting your fears. The most effective way to defeat scammers is to know how to identify scams and to ignore suspicious calls and emails.
One common tactic scammers use is posing as federal agents or other law enforcement. They may claim your Social Security number (SSN) is linked to a crime. They may even threaten to arrest you if you do not comply with their instructions. Here are three things you should do:
* Hang up right away or do not reply to the email.
* Never give personal information or payment of any kind.
* Report the scam at https://oig.ssa.gov/ to immediately notify the law enforcement team in our Office of the Inspector General.
You should continue to remain vigilant if you receive a phone call from someone who claims there’s a problem with your SSN or your benefits. If you owe money to us, we will mail you a letter explaining your rights, payment options, and information about appealing.
There are a few ways you can identify a scam call or email. Remember that we will never:
* Threaten you with benefit suspension, arrest, or other legal action unless you pay a fine or fee.
* Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment.
* Require payment by retail gift card, cash, wire transfer, internet currency, or prepaid debit card.
* Demand secrecy from you in handling a Social Security-related problem.
* Send official letters or reports containing personally identifiable information via email.
If you do not have ongoing business with our agency, it is unlikely we will contact you. Again, if you get a suspicious call claiming to be from us or law enforcement about Social Security, you should hang up and report it right away to our Office of the Inspector General at https://oig.ssa.gov/.

Large Revenue Gap Remains

Care Providers Oklahoma President and CEO Steven Buck today thanked the Legislature for including in their budget agreement a $47.8 million increase in funding for Oklahoma’s skilled nursing facilities and for Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IIDs). The funding replaces a roughly equal amount of federal dollars made available through the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency that will no longer be available starting July 1, 2023, and avoids a steep funding cliff for skilled nursing in Oklahoma.
However, Buck also warned that nursing homes and ICFs still provide a large amount of uncompensated care that threaten the financial viability of many homes and may lead to closures. According to OHCA projections, the cost of treating a typical Medicaid resident in a skilled nursing facility is $246 per day. With the $47.7 million in additional state funding, nursing facilities will now be compensated approximately $225 per day per Medicaid resident, a $21 per day deficit.
“The Legislature has averted an outright catastrophe by replacing federal dollars that have been revoked due to the end of the COVID-19 emergency declaration,” said Buck. “That action will likely be enough to avoid widespread closures within the industry and provide some sense of stability for most residents and staff. We are grateful to our lawmakers for taking action on that front.”
“However,” continued Buck, “the majority of skilled nursing residents pay for their care using Medicaid. Each of those residents costs their facilities $21 a day in uncompensated care. In the long run, we cannot continue to expect reliable, high-quality services unless we can at least match the cost of care for our residents. Furthermore, facilities will not be able to hire and retain qualified workers at the $13 to $15 an hour rate that our current funding levels support.”
“The work our lawmakers did in 2023 prevented a disaster,” finished Buck. “But they can expect that we will be asking them to do more in 2024 so that we can adequately care for our residents, staff our facilities with qualified workers, and avoid more closures which disrupt the lives of vulnerable Oklahomans.”

Edna Randolph

Edna Randolph of Oklahoma City celebrated her 100th birthday this week. Our volunteer Ann Attig was there to present her with a certificate. Edna had a career as a pharmacy assistant. Her favorite holiday was Christmas because of the decorations and holiday cooking. Happy Birthday Edna!!

Georgia Camp

Georgia of Altus celebrated her 100th birthday in March. Christmas is Georgia’s favorite holiday because of the time she gets to spend with family. She loves to eat fried chicken. Her favorite song is Farewell Party. Georgia has lived in the US with seventeen Presidents from Coolidge to Biden. Her words of wisdom to us are: Smile, Be Happy and Stay Out of Trouble.

Wanda Moore

Wanda Moore of Tulsa will be 100 tomorrow, May 14th! She was born and raised in Arkansas but is now a Golden Okie! Her words of wisdom for us are: Get a Good Education, Go To Church and Honor Your Elders. Happiest of birthday wishes to Wanda!

Mary Krutsch

Tulsan Mary Krutsch celebrates her 100th Birthday today! She received her high school diploma from Central High School, Class of 1941. Mary was a hairdresser and licensed pilot. Congratulations, Mary on your 100th Birthday!!!

KNOW A CENTENARIAN? If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor, please visit http://centenariansok.com/ and download, complete and submit our form. A team members will contact you .

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jerry Jimenez, Navy Office of Community Outreach

Hunt attended Moore High School and graduated in 2016.
Hunt joined the Navy four years ago.
“I joined the Navy so I could see the world,” said Hunt.
Today, Hunt serves as an electronics technician aboard USS Chief.
Skills and values learned in the Navy are similar to those found in Oklahoma City.
“I come from a city with a small-town feel, which helped me get a sense of the Navy community,” said Hunt.
USS Chief is an amphibious warship. These types of ships embark, transport and land U.S. Marines for a variety of warfare missions. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice, according to Navy officials.
As a member of the Navy, Hunt is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy is important to national defense because at the end of the day it’s really the Navy that will prevent our enemies from getting to the United States.,” said Hunt.
Hunt serves in Japan as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. These naval forces operate with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Service members in this region are part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which has the largest area of responsibility in the world.
“As the largest force in our nation’s front line against revisionist actors, U.S. Pacific Fleet meets this great responsibility with strength, resolve and confidence,” said Adm. Samuel Paparo, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander. “Together with our joint and combined partner operations, we are positioned to defend – across all domains – any attempts to threaten our nation, our allies and partner’s security, freedom and well-being.”
Hunt and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“I am most proud of being able to have the technical knowledge to solve equipment malfunctions on the ship while underway at sea,” said Hunt.
As Hunt and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy means showing our allies that we’re here for them,” said Hunt. “Recently we went to Okinawa and the people of Okinawa really showed their appreciation.”
Hunt is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my parents,” added Hunt. “They were really supportive of me. Also, my recruiter, Toni Knight, was very helpful in navigating my way and helping me understand the process.”

Story by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

The free admission Tinker AFB Air Show returns July 1-2, featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels’ highly anticipated aerial exhibition finale each day. The Blue Angels aerobatic flight demonstration team of six fighters will treat spectators to their precision flying skills and professionalism. In the team’s rich history, they have performed for an estimated 500 million spectators, sharing their flyovers and shows worldwide since 1946.
The Blue Angels Navy pilots will feature their famous delta formation as they perform in their single-seat, supersonic F/A-18E Super Hornet fighters.
“We are excited to open our gates to host a safe, family-friendly event with an awesome lineup of aerial performers and interactive ground displays,” said Lt. Col. Kyle Moats, commander of the 72nd Operations Support Squadron. “The Air Show is our way of giving back to our community and saying ‘thank you’ for all the continued support of Tinker Air Force Base and our warfighters.”
The world’s most advanced multi-role stealth fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, will compete with the Blue Angels for the crowds’ attention by flying above Tinker for the first time. A single fighter demonstrating its stealth and next-generation technology built to replace many older and less technologically advanced fighters will perform each day. The supersonic F-35A’s helmet-mounted display system is the most advanced system of its kind. All the intelligence and targeting information an F-35 pilot needs to complete a mission are displayed on the pilot’s helmet visor.
As Oklahoma’s largest single-site employer, Tinker AFB personnel are part of the enduring 75-year advantage as the world’s most capable and respected air power source. This open house will demonstrate why the last time an American combatant was killed on the ground by an adversary air force was April 15, 1953.
Because admission, parking and shuttles are free, organizers encourage everyone to arrive early. Seniors will want to arrive early enough to park at Building 9001, formerly the old General Motors Plant, off SE 74th Street because those buses drop them off at the gate area requiring the least walking. The event has been popular, and the gates will close when capacity is reached. Gates open at 8 a.m. daily, and aerial demonstrations begin at 11 a.m. All acts are expected to perform each day, but the order of performers may change.
As you approach Tinker Air Force Base from Interstate 40 or I-240, look for signs directing you to the entrance. From I-40 or SE 29th Street, you may enter through the Hruskocy Gate. From Douglas the Lancer Gate. And from the I-240 exit at Air Depot or Douglas, come in on 74th Street to access the old GM plant. The Liberator Gate off Douglas will only be a drop-off point for any LYFT, UBER and other Ride Share vehicles. It is important to note that driving from the west side of the base to the east side will be restricted.
Guests with wheelchairs, strollers or wagons are highly encouraged to enter through the Hruskocy or Lancer Gates to mitigate excessive time spent loading/unloading buses.
Small diaper bags and purses are permitted. Bringing sunscreen, hats, and umbrellas for shade is strongly recommended, as shade availability may be limited. Visitors are also advised to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and strollers, as seating will not be provided. ATMs will be available on-site.
Drivers should have their licenses available for the gate guards as they approach the gates. Park vehicles in designated areas and proceed to the gated entryway or shuttle bus stop. Base security forces will send you in the right direction. All visitors will proceed through a security checkpoint before boarding the shuttle buses or entering the event area.
The show will feature dozens of military and civilian aerial performers and a wide variety of ground display aircraft, such as Tinker’s own E-3 Sentry AWACS, the U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury, and the KC-135 Stratotanker.
The theme for this year’s air show is “STEM Takes Flight,” highlighting science, technology, engineering and mathematics that make human flight possible. STEM City will fill a large hangar so children and adults can witness the “outside-of-the-box” thinking needed to solve the daily problems Tinker’s engineers and mechanics face to deliver air power for America.
Youth can explore various hands-on activities with drone tech, robotics, LEGOs, snap circuits and more for kids ages 5 through high school. The emphasis is on how they can get involved in the field of aerospace, whether in the private or public sector. They will be shown the many jobs available that require a STEM-related education.”
Other educational opportunities include a mobile movie theater showing films about the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), who served in World War II.
Visitors can also walk inside an E-3 Sentry AWACS, explore a full-scale E-7 exhibit of the Air Force’s new global defense plane, and get an up-close look at the Blue Angels’ C-130J Super Hercules and other static displays.
Stand-out air acts include a World War II reenactment by Tora, Tora, Tora, including the famous “Wall of Fire,” the USAF Wings of Blue Parachute Team, Jelly Belly Comedy Air Act, Matt Younkin and his Twin Beech aerobatic air act, T-33 demo flight, Tuskegee Airman WWII Red Tail P-51, Adam Baker and his Extra 300 aerobatic air act and more.
Most attractions are free except a VIP area, the Flightline Chalet, and the Kidz Zone. Flightline Chalet VIP tickets are available for $149, offering shade tents, preferential seating, cold beverages, and a boxed lunch. There is also shade seating on the northern end of the flightline starting at $39. Wristbands for the Tinker Air Show’s Kidz Zone cost $20 and are good all day. STEM City is free to attend.
Security measures will be in place, and visitors must pass through a security checkpoint before boarding the shuttle buses or entering the event area. Smoking or vaping is strictly prohibited, and coolers are not allowed. Food concessions will be available for refreshments, with beverages for sale and complimentary water provided, so bring an empty water bottle to fill at the water stations.
As the air show draws closer, Team Tinker continues to add performers, ground displays, and exhibits to enhance the overall experience. Visitors are advised to regularly check the public website https://www.tinkerairshow.org/ and or they may log onto the Tinker Air Force Base’s website: https://www.tinker.af.mil/) and their social media platforms, including Facebook(@TinkerAirForceBase), Twitter(@Team_Tinker), and Instagram (@Tinkerairforcebase), for the most up-to-date information. For those unable to attend in person, the air show will be live-streamed on Tinker’s Facebook page. To ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience, visitors are encouraged to download the air show app AF Connect, which provides important information, including parking and event maps. The official 2023 Tinker Air Show app, ‘AF Connect,’ can be downloaded from popular app stores for free.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

In a heartwarming display of resilience, 1,000 senior citizens aged 65 or older came together on Saturday, April 29th, to walk or run in the inaugural Senior Marathon, a new addition to the 23rd annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Their participation allowed seniors to support the nonprofit Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. This institution has served the community for 22 years in honor of the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all those affected by the devastating April 19, 1995 bombing.
The participants of the Senior Marathon undertook a unique training regimen, walking or running 25 miles before the race weekend and recording their progress by completing 1.5 miles each week starting in January. On their race day, they completed their 26.2-mile marathon.
The Senior Marathoners embarked on their journey a day before the main marathon, setting off at 8 a.m., between the 7 a.m. start of the 5,000 meters (5K) run and the Kid’s Marathon that started at 9 a.m. Their route took them from the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum starting line on the final 1.2 miles of their marathon distance, directly south to the finish line in Scissortail Park.
Many seniors chose to continue running in their favorite 5K run. Saturday morning began with the more competitive 5K, in which a diverse group of participants, including wheelchair athletes, eagerly participated.
Norman resident Mary Cherry Burleson, 81, and her Edmond sister Jenny Cherry McMonigle, 79, participated in the “Run to Remember” 5K, making it a decade of running it for each.
Despite Mary’s admission of never being much of an athlete, her determination to be fit led her to participate. Notably, both sisters have consistently placed in the top ten of their age and gender categories in each run, earning two medals each for being in the top three.
For Mary, participating in the Memorial Marathon weekend holds a profound significance. She said, “One of our good friend’s brothers was killed in the bombing, so I run to remember him. I love being a part of all that the Memorial Marathon represents—our community coming together to honor their memory, and the opening 168 seconds of silence at each race are designed to do that.”
On the other hand, Jenny has always been naturally inclined towards running. From running to her grandparents’ house a block away to watch TV at night during her childhood to participating in races with her classmates during grade school recess, Jenny’s love for running has been ingrained in her since a young age.
She even ran in the AAU Junior Olympics one summer. However, it wasn’t until 2013 that Jenny felt inspired to participate in the Memorial Marathon after reading the book “Run for God,” which explores the parallels between enduring a sport like running and having faith, based on the Bible verse Hebrews 12:1.
Jenny’s training for the 5K race demanded commitment, practice, perseverance, and suitable equipment, while also providing an enjoyable, satisfying, and rewarding experience. Upon completing the book, Jenny felt prepared for her first 5K as part of Memorial Marathon weekend, an event encompassing all the elements she had embraced. Jenny’s passion for running was ignited, and she has since participated in the event every year.
For Mary and Jenny, running in the 5K yearly goes beyond staying active and maintaining good health. It serves as a way to honor and remember those affected by the tragic Oklahoma City bombing. Their unwavering commitment to the event and dedication to running inspire others, demonstrating that with perseverance and the right mindset, anyone can achieve their goals and positively impact their community.
Readers who notice their custom tee shirts with their names and ages as 70 Plus in the accompanying photo will soon see a new race day version. Next year they will both be in their 80s, so their new tee shirts will list their ages as 80 Plus.
Kevin Lynes was among the inaugural Senior Marathon participants, a 66-year-old runner who discovered his love for running at age 48, once his children had grown up. Over eighteen years, Lynes has completed an impressive 24 full marathons and 10 ultra-marathons of 50 kilometers or more.
Hailing from Oklahoma City, he has participated in the Memorial Marathon full marathon 10 times and the half marathon six times. Additionally, he has completed approximately 75 half-marathons throughout his extensive running career.
Lynes learned about the Senior Marathon a few weeks before the event, prompting him to embark on a focused training schedule. “I quickly ran the required distance and kept track of earning the privilege to run in it right up to race day,” Lynes said. “I decided to sign up for the event because generating that mileage quickly would be a fun challenge.”
While Lynes ran the final leg of the Senior Marathon alone that Saturday, many of his training runs over the years have been with Oklahoma City Running Club athletes.
This year he began supporting Ainsley’s Angels of America. This national organization promotes inclusion and accessibility for individuals with disabilities in endurance events. Lynes said he had the honor of pushing a young girl Jordyn’s wheelchair while running this year’s half marathon on Sunday, switching off in rotation with her mother and Sarah Mehan. The experience profoundly impacted him, inspiring Lynes to want to help push Jordyn in the full marathon next year.
Lynes’ running journey inspires anyone who may feel there is still time to start a new hobby or physically challenge themselves. His story highlights that, with the right mindset and dedication, there is always time to begin running or walking and make a positive change in one’s life, as he can attest.
The Senior Marathon was designed to be an untimed event, allowing the participants to savor the experience without any pressure or competition. In addition to the race, the Senior Marathoners had the opportunity to partake in the Health and Fitness Expo, held at the Oklahoma City Convention Center that day. The Expo, presented by the OKC Convention and Visitors Bureau and OU Health, was located adjacent to the finish line. It offered a platform for Senior Marathoners to interact, show their support, and gain insights into health and fitness.
The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is the largest fundraiser for the privately owned and operated National Park Service-affiliated Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Over two days, the event welcomed more than 20,000 runners and walkers from across the United States and several foreign countries. In addition to the Senior Marathon, the event featured a marathon, half marathon, marathon relay (comprising five-member teams), 5K, Kid’s marathon, and a wheelchair division.
The Senior Marathon inaugural event was presented by Mercy, a nonprofit Catholic health system serving Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
This new event is an outstanding testament to the indomitable spirit of the senior citizen community. By lacing up their running shoes and embarking on their walks or runs, they honored the memory of the Oklahoma City bombing by showing their dedication to supporting their community while seeking a healthy and active lifestyle.

From Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

When you think of visiting Georgia you may only think of the big towns like Atlanta or Augusta, but there are other fascinating towns if you can make the time to travel by car which produces your own unique road trip.
Atlanta does have a lot to offer and I have to say I am impressed with my overnight stay at the Westin Peach Tree Plaza Hotel
(http://www.westinpeachtreeplazaatlanta.com/), with its downtown location, comfy rooms and an impressive observation deck on the 73 floor, capped off with a cocktail lounge and The Sundial Restaurant on adjoining floors. During the cocktail hour I enjoyed their Bar 73 New Georgia Peach Martini ($14) of Grey Goose, Peach Schnapps and Amaretto, to accompany a small Caesar salad ($9). The rotating cocktail lounge is a combination of exhilaration and relaxation with incomparable views of Atlanta.
Augusta (http://www.visitaugusta.com/) offers the historic yet quirky Partridge Inn which was the center of tourist attention of 1889 to 1930. After a recent renovation following many more previous additions, the Partridge Inn sits on “the hill,” as a testament to time and travelers of all seasons. A cocktail or light supper out on the verandah offers a tranquil and southern elegant evening. And while Augusta’s funky, The Bees Knees Restaurant is known for its variety of Tapas, I delighted in my first chicken and waffles. Among many attractions, Augusta offers for your education and enjoyment; the Canal National Heritage area, the Museum of History with a special exhibit of home town musician, James Brown, and an historic downtown with its Haunted Pillar. Touching or moving it may result in a death.
Escape to Statesboro (www.visitstatesboroga.com) where you will find a banquet size meal served in family style elegance complete with ghosts stories in the Historic Beaver House Restaurant
(http://www.thebeaverhouserestaurant.com) at 121 South Main Street.
The home dates back to 1911 and has an antebellum charm but in a real family residence, where room sizes are small but portions are large. The Traditional Boarding House Dinner served on Friday and Saturdays offers exceptional Prime Rib and Fried Fantail Shrimp which is served along with a plethora of homemade sides. And if you need a sweet desert or more, try the Cotton Patch Bakery and Deli for more homemade madness. If you are in a shopping mode on certain days take in the Main Street Farmers market and the nearby comic memorabilia shop, that brings out the kid in us all.
Statesboro is also home of legendary entertainer Emma Kelly. She was called by song writer Johnny Mercer as the lady of ten thousand songs, She is featured in a chapter in the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” and I was privilege to have sat in on a couple of her cocktail lounge performances in Savanah in past years. It was a life affirming joy to see that Statesboro renamed a theater in her honor before she past.
(http://www.averittcenterforthearts.org)
You may think you are in Europe when you stay at the Hotel Indigo in Athens, Georgia. The rooms are equipped with modern amenities, and light switches that may take a little exploration for you to work. This modern design and the hotel’s LEED Gold Certified property of sustainability, fits perfectly with Athens being the host to the University of Georgia.
As one might expect of a university town, Athens has upscale dining as I experienced at The Five & Ten Restaurant where I had a pre fix dinner of Smoked Kielbasa with artichokes, radicchio, fermented sunchoke, sorghum gastrique with sunflower seeds, and an entrée of Glazed Lamb Shoulder with pickled blueberries, hakurei turnips, fennel, smoked pecans and onion broth. A red wine of Minerviois, Chateau D’Oupia, from Languedoc, France 2012 accompanied the meal before the desert of Panna Cotta with pecan sandie thumbprint and pickled peaches. All was impeccably served and while the Lamb was delicious the Panna Cotta was ecstasy! And the true test of fine dining is a properly prepared Martini, which Five & Ten poured to my satisfaction.
Besides the Georgia Museum of Art, artistic delights should be consumed at a number of other eateries, including The Place, Creature Comforts Brewery and the roof top of the Georgia Theatre at Phickles Pickles serving Fried Chicken Skins and Pimento Cheese made with goat cheese. Yum!
Albany, Georgia (http://www.albany.ga.us) has the Ray Charles Plaza complete with a bronze of the entertainer and his piano at Riverfront Park, the Welcome Center in the old bridge house of the Flint River, the Civil Rights Institute and the new Flint River Aquarium. Albany is home to eight golf course and a number of entertainers including, Ray Stevens, Luke Bryan and American Idol Winner, Phillip Phillips. To round out your road trip a stop in Washington (www.historyofwilkes.org) will be a surprise you will not forget with its quaint town square, row upon row of architectural house gems, and the Washington Historical Museum in a home built in 1835, and today serves as a reminder of the past to understand the future of Wilkes County.
When in Georgia think about taking in one of these under sung locales.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
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