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Never Too Late for wishes to come true
By William Fouts
Noblesville
Daily Times
Friday, 24 November 2006
On Monday, November 27, 2006, Robert and Gloria Watkins will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in style with a limo ride and an elegant candlelit dinner. It was their wish for their special night, and it might not have come true without the help of an organization that specializes in granting wishes for senior citizens.
Never Too Late grants wishes for senior citizens throughout Indiana and neighboring states. It is similar to the Make-A-Wish Foundation which grants wishes for children with life threatening illnesses. However, seniors seeking to have a dream fulfilled need not be ill or infirmed. The only requirement is that they are 65 or over or any age at all if they live in an assisted living center or long-term care facility.
Founded in 2000, Never Too Late has granted nearly 1,200 wishes. The organization seeks out corporate sponsors to donate goods and services. For the Watkins’s wish, Airport Executive Car Service donated a limo. Peterson’s Restaurant in Fishers will treat the couple to a gourmet meal.
“We’ve never been to the restaurant,” said Gloria Watkins. “My husband asked me if it was a steak place and I said I think it is.”
Never Too Late is the brainchild of Bob Haverstick. He says most wishes are relatively simple to grant. He said many seniors want to reconnect with family and friends, visit a favorite place from their youth or try an activity they have never done before. Haverstick added the holidays can be a lonely time for many seniors.
“Put your antenna up. Think of somebody from church, somebody who’s in a nursing home, somebody who lives next door who’s all alone, somebody whose kids live all over the country and for some reason can’t get into town to visit mom or grandmother,” Haverstick said. “Maybe there’s a wish that could brighten up their lives during the holidays.”
While many seniors who have had wishes granted are healthy, active and independent, many other wishes come to Never Too Late through elder care facilities like Miller’s Senior Living Center in Castleton where the Watkins’s live. In fact, the first wishes granted by Never Too Late were for seniors at Miller’s.
“I try to keep my eye out for a wish that I think one of these seniors would benefit from,” said Amy McDowell, community relations director for Miller’s. “So, I try to approach residents in the community and find out if there’s something they would really enjoy doing that was something out of the ordinary…and then I call Bob and we try to make their wish happen.”
Know more
To tell Never Too Late about a special senior with a wish or to become a sponsor or volunteer contact Never Too Late at (317) 823-4705 or e-mail or log onto www.nevertoolate.org