The inspirational woman who received the Move It! Award in the senior category was Ginny Cooley of Tofte (right). She is pictured with Caroline Wood, who nominated her for the award.
Once again in May, nominations were sought for a community Move It! award. The Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, the Cook County Senior Center and the Cook County News-Herald joined forces to get community members thinking about the people who inspire others to move. The response was wonderful and judges had a very difficult time deciding which nominees should be named winners.
The winners each receive a $40 gift certificate to a local business. The person who nominated them is also a winner, receiving a $20 gift certificate.
Selected from the entries in the senior category was Ginny Cooley of Tofte, who was nominated by Caroline Wood. Ginny was also nominated by Patricia Nordahl in the 2014 Move It! Awards. Nordahl said, “Ginny ‘out minuted and out miled’ us in every Move It event!”
Caroline Wood credited Ginny with helping grow the fitness program at the Birch Grove Community Center. She wrote, “Her gentle nudges have assured that I keep fitness a priority at our center. She shares her knowledge of fitness with attendees and welcomes them to the center with a warm smile. I believe Ginny is our greatest resource and inspiration when it comes to motivating the west end to achieve greater health…She is the epitome of engaged aging and leads with her heart.”
Also winning, in the adult category, was Amanda Anderson of Grand Marais, who received kudos from Ashley Green. And in the youth category was Levi Rankin of Grand Portage, nominated by neighbor, Amber Pfeil.
More about their Move It! nominations will be shared in an upcoming issue of the Cook County News- Herald.
Because the Move It! award judges had such a hard time selecting winners, it was agreed to shine the Move It! spotlight on all of them by sharing the names of the nominees and a little bit of information from the nominating form. To see the full text of entries, visit www.movingmatters.org. Congratulations to all of these community members for making all of us want to get moving!
. Linnea Henrikson By Nina Woerheide
Every time my friend Linnea Henrikson and I get together for one
of our crazy outings, we always end up running, walking, biking,
and even swimming to any of the places that we go to. ..I have
learned from not only a great friend, but an achiever in sports and
a true athlete, that exercise is not only extremely important, but
it’s fun and exciting.
. Frankie Jarchow By Nicole Boostrom
…She looks at everyone as equal and gives loving advice and
puts forth more effort with all parts of the community, such as
the Garden Club, tennis, bike riding, as well as always being with
people socially.
. Lee Bergstrom By Linda Kratt
…On the days when I can’t seem to get out of bed, Lee is texting
or calling; holding me accountable to my fitness.
. Jill Levene By Lisa Luttinen
Jill loves to cycle, hike, snowshoe, cross country ski and is active in
yoga…She is always a cheerleader, supportive and encouraging
and never judgmental.
. Ruth Kozcielak By Angie Works
I would like to nominate Ruth Kozcielak who walks as much as she
is able, sometimes more than 25 laps in a day, as she recovers from
an injury. She truly is an inspiration!
. Elsa Garry and Greta Roth By Amanda Hand
…these two hoof it or bike it to and from school year round. Often
they are loaded down with backpacks so full that a few extra
essentials must be tied on the outside. In an era of increasing
childhood obesity and the sad consequences it brings, I am
inspired and challenged by these two hearty, northern young
women to live up to the high standards that they meet every day.
. Kevin Kager and the Cooperation Station Kids
By Angie Works and Anne Mundell
It is really fun to see them out walking all over town in their orange
vests… They really take advantage of the opportunity to get kids
out and active in our community. They inspire me to move more.
. Theresa Oberg By Kerrie Berg
She is a role model as I see her biking with her kids to school. She
also volunteers as a coach and coordinator for the youth tennis
program. What a great example of a working family person who
makes time to stay healthy and fit while encouraging others in the
community to be active.
. Marain Johnson By Myra Schmidt
…I see her many times a week walking her dog named Anderson
by the location that I work at…When you cross paths with her you
are always greeted with a big smile and a friendly greeting. Marain
inspires me and makes me smile!
. Michael Garry By Amanda Hand
My husband, Michael Garry, takes the cake for a commitment
to movement…[As a one car family], only one person gets to
drive at a time and usually it’s me…He goes to work, helps with
homework, makes dinner, does the dishes, and maintains an
incredibly active lifestyle. …While I sit at the computer typing this,
guess who’s mowing the lawn? My moving hero.
. Christine Angelo By Shari Denniston
Chris always has a smile and an encouraging word whether you
see her at the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic or at the YMCA. As a
YMCA instructor, she knows her students and takes special care
and attention to address and accommodate special needs. Chris
encourages people to stay active and stronger for the task of every
day life.
Funding for the Move It! Awards is provided in part by the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, Cook County News-Herald, and the Cook County Senior Center.
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