Latest news with #WishofaLifetime
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Local veteran uses wish to honor others
KENMORE, N.Y. (WIVB) — John Gerstenmeyer volunteered to defend the stars and stripes. 'I spent two years, 10 months, 11 days, nine hours, and 15 minutes and 30 seconds. I was stationed peacetime in South Korea; the bad luck is when Vietnam started, I was there, and they shipped me right to Vietnam,' said Gerstenmeyer. During his time in service, he was a parachutist and completed 42 combat jumps. John was wounded while in duty, and he lost his leg. 'He's a generally good guy, and he'd do anything for anybody,' said Lisa Blaszczyk, John's daughter. For 35 years, John worked in his hometown as a principal engineer for the City of Buffalo, overseeing heating operations for 173 buildings. He now lives at the Brookdale Kenmore, where his friend Suzanne wanted to know if he had a wish, what it would be. 'He wanted to go skydiving into the courtyard; wasn't feasible, so he came up with the secondary plan of a military picnic in the courtyard,' said Suzanne Kuligowski, the resident program manager at Brookdale Kenmore. 'He's a man of few words, but he's got a really, really big heart underneath that long beard.' She submitted his wish to AARP's 'Wish of a Lifetime' program, and while the sun was shining in their courtyard, his wish was granted. 'It's a testament to who he is as a person. He's always giving to others and not to himself. He doesn't want the attention, he doesn't want the big thrill and the frills, he'd rather give that to somebody else,' said Kuligowski. 'It's overdue. When he came home from the service, they didn't get the thanks that they deserved, so he's finally getting that thanks.' 'For me, just shaking hands would be good enough — shaking hands and thanking them for their service,' said Gerstenmeyer. 'I want them to be appreciated, also — simple as that.' Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
83-year-old woman gets to go at lightning speeds on racing track
83-year-old woman gets to go at lightning speeds on racing track Show Caption Hide Caption Bobbi, an 83-year-old woman, leaves the speed limit in the dust Bobbi Oxford, an 83-year-old racing lover, realized a lifelong dream to drive a NASCAR car with the help of Wish of a Lifetime. Even at the age of 83, Bobbi Oxford has the need for speed. Cars have been a lifelong passion. Her brother Marshall used to race in amateur car competitions when she was a child in Hawaii. Bobbi always wanted to race as well, but found few opportunities to do so as a young woman. Marshall had worked and saved to buy his own race car, and the family couldn't afford to subsidize Bobbi's dreams. She did get the chance to race in one event organized specially for women. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day and the event was cut short. Life then took over. For decades, it seemed Bobbi's motor racing dream would never come true. However, out of the blue, it did! Offered the chance of a lifetime to get behind the wheel of a retired race car belonging to Joe Garone, the COO of Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado, Bobbi grabbed the opportunity with both hands. And with her son and daughter-in-law watching from the sidelines, she finally put pedal to the metal at the age of 83! Humankind is your go-to spot for good news! Click here to submit your uplifting, cute, or inspiring video moments for us to feature. Also, click here to subscribe to our newsletter, bringing our top stories of the week straight to your inbox.
