CANNON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The snow was melting, fast. Sitting on inner tubes, the seniors moved faster.
During winter's last days, residents at StoryPoint Grand Rapids West, an independent living retirement community, fit in an afternoon of tubing at Cannonsburg Ski Area.
"I recommend it to anybody, any age," said Sharon Uherek, 75. "Come on out here, people. Come and join us."
For Uherek, it had been more than half a century since she last went sledding. On Thursday, the wintertime activity had never been better.
"It's more fun now," she said. "It’s exciting to be out at my age. I mean, it’s a miracle.”
In total, 11 residents from StoryPoint and around twice as many volunteers hit the tubing hill at the Cannon Township ski resort.
"A bucket list item for some of our residents," Beth Visser said.
The life enrichment coordinator for the retirement community, Visser takes field trip and activity suggestions from residents. In November, they asked to go sledding.
"It took a while to pull together a safe option," Visser said. "We do our best not to say no."
At 85 years old, Mary Lou Laske hit the hills like a regular.
"I haven't been sledding in a long time," she said. "It's been a very, very special day."
