Never Too Late Takes Rice to Ball Game

In The News:

Never Too Late Takes Rice To the Ball Game

By GARY EXELBY Daily Statesman editor

Thursday, August 17, 2006


David Rice and his wife Jeannette. David will see the Cards play today, courtesy of Never Too Late and the Bernie Church of Christ. Photo: Andrea Cluck

David Rice and his wife Jeannette. David will see the Cards play today, courtesy of Never Too Late and the Bernie Church of Christ.

Photo: Andrea Cluck

BERNIE, MO: David will see the Cards play today, courtesy of Never Too Late and the Bernie Church of Christ.

David Rice is going to see the Cardinals play the Reds today.
Not such a big deal, on its face. But Rice, 65 and a resident of Crowley Ridge Care Center is largely bedridden as the result of a stroke.

His trip to St. Louis to see the game is made possible through Never Too Late, which daughter Victoria Rice said grants wishes to senior citizens in a manner similar to the well-known Make-a-Wish Foundation. "I found out about it by seeing a program called 'Three Wishes' on NBC," Rice said from Kansas City in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon. "So I went on the Internet and did a search of wish and senior citizen, and that's how I found them."

Rice said she called the number listed and nominated her father for the granting of a wish to see the Cardinals. Wife Jeannette said David Rice had not seen the Redbirds play since the 30-year-old daughter was a little girl.

"And they called me back in 40 minutes!" Victoria Rice said.

She added, however, that getting the wish granted was only half the battle. "We had to arrange transportation up there," she said.

Victoria Rice said the process of securing transport looked insurmountable, until a local church volunteered its van. "The Bernie Church of Christ came through," she said. Jeannette Rice said the Bernie Lions Club actually deserved the credit for getting the word to the church of the need.

"And of course, we're from Bernie," Jeannette Rice said. "It's funny how a small town will pull together like that."

"They'll be leaving about 9 o'clock Thursday to go up there," Victoria Rice said.

Jeannette Rice said David had required care, which she herself had administered for two years until a motor vehicle accident had left her unable to lift him, since he was 62. "Then he was in the nursing home in Malden for close to a year," she said, "but now he's up here, and since I work in Dexter, I can come see him every day."

According to the Never Too Late website, www.nevertoolate.org, Never Too Late's primary purpose is to reach out to people in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice programs and adult day care facilities - regardless of age - and help make their dreams and wishes come true.

Never Too Late's secondary purpose,the website said, is to honor requests from any elder citizens generally 65 and over, regardless of where they reside, providing they or one of their family members are willing to help.

Never Too Late began granting wishes for residents in January of 2000 at the Miller's Senior Living facility in Indianapolis, Ind..

Its ultimate goal is to provide a setting of intergenerational exchange, "where eight-year olds and 80-year olds bring meaning and purpose to one another". Ideally, with time and continued interest, there will be enough Never Too Late volunteers to adopt the residents at every long-term care facility, so that there is at least one wish a day being granted in every facility statewide..

The time is right, said the website, for a Never Too Late to have a lasting impact on the lives of elders. According to the Census Bureau, there are currently 34.7 million Americans 65 and older. By 2011, there will be an estimated 40 million; and by 2050, almost 82 million in this age category.

In 2005 the group had granted 200 wishes. By June of this year it had granted another 183. All together never Too late has granted 1,041 wishes.

Such wishes, in addition to baseball game tickets like that for David Rice, have taken the form of a ride in Indianapolis-type racing car at age 86, a plane ride at age 87 and a meeting with country music singer and actress Reba MacIntire at age 84.

Anyone desiring more information on Never Too Late should contact founder Bob Haverstick at 317-823-4705 or visit the website www.nevertoolate.org

gexelby@dailystatesman.com

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ About ] [ Contact ] [ Get Involved ] [ Wishes ]