Age-Friendly University Day
Mon, Jun 20 2022, 8:30am - 2pm
Mark your calendars and register for the inaugural Age-Friendly University Day to be hosted by the University of Minnesota Age-Friendly University Council.
The event will be held at the McNamara Alumni Center on the East Bank of the Twin Cities Campus from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, June 20. It will be an opportunity for older adults to gather and explore cutting-edge topics on aging, learn about what the University has to offer them, and socialize with peers.
Alan Page, ’78 JD, retired Minnesota Supreme Court justice and former Minnesota Viking, will keynote the event with a fireside chat about his own aging experience. The day will start with continental breakfast and will include breakout sessions plus several booths with exhibitors (including UMRA) sharing information about programs and services.
A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided by D'Amico & Sons. To cover the cost of food and the venue, there will be a modest $10 registration fee per person. Attendance will be limited to 150.
The event is being sponsored by the University Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation and the Minnesota Northstar Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.
The University joined the Age-Friendly University Global Network in 2020. Soon afterward, President Joan Gabel established the University’s AFU Council, of which UMRA is a charter member. This action committed us to looking forward and working to ensure our campus seizes the opportunities a rapidly aging society offers. I will share additional details about AFU Day as we get closer to the date.
—Lynn C. Anderson, UMRA member of the U of M Age-Friendly University Council
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.