News Update - Breakfast of Senior Champions

May is Older American's Month - the perfect time to kick off the first annual Breakfast of Senior Champions! These 8 individuals being honored today were chosen by the community. They have spent their lives giving to others, making the planet a better place to live, establishing ground-breaking businesses, providing care, creating art, and pursuing social justice.

The Council on Aging also wants to honor two organizations, the Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community for its outstanding support of the non-profit community, especially the gift of office space to the Council on Aging of Buncombe County, and the National Church Residences for its work locally and nationwide to create innovative programs for low-income older adults and supportive housing.

The Breakfast of Senior Champions was emceed by Mix 96.5's Ken Ulmer, and featured Gregg Levoy, best-selling author, as the keynote speaker. 

Honorees in the inaugural Breakfast of Senior Champions were:

• Bob Tomasulo
• Bob worked for 34 years for the Social Security Administration and retired in Asheville, where he became a leading advocate for seniors. He has served on the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board, Council on Aging for Buncombe County, the Aging Coordination Consortium, the Buncombe County Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee, and the LGBT Elder Advocates Committee.

• Chris Moutos
• Chris immigrated to the United States in April 1951, and in 1964 purchased the Mountaineer Inn on Tunnel Road. At 94, Chris is a very generous person, often letting people stay in the Inn who are in crisis and are not able to pay. He treats his employees like family, cooking large meals and buying them gifts. His gratitude and compassion for people have made the Mountaineer Inn an iconic fixture in the Asheville area.

• Eugene "Bob" Carr
• Bob was drafted into the Army under the GI. Bill and attended Yale University. He ran a lumber company that provided wood to school vocational programs. Now, at 91, he is a Meals on Wheels delivery driver, volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, and is active in All Souls and Trinity Episcopal churches. He also serves as a board member for the Council on Aging of Buncombe County.

• Jeanne Bowman
• Jeanne, a retired elementary school librarian, volunteers her time at Eliada Homes Child Development Center and tells stories at Mimi's Place Childcare. She also tends a huge garden and donates the produce to MANNA Food Bank and other food pantries.

• Judith Cheney
• Judith worked at the Colburn Earth Science Museum for over 15 years. She also wrote a fashion column for a newspaper in Milwaukee and is a fantastic painter. She loves animals, had genuine compassion for others, and we wealth of knowledge in the arts, literature, and science make her a true inspiration.

• Maggie Belle Gladden, AKA Queen Mother
• Maggie provides over 300 people meals every week, does laundry for the homeless, and distributes warm hats and gloves to those living on the street. She is also a master gardener who volunteers with the Shiloh Community Garden. She was recently featured in the documentary, "Crossing Borders: American Textiles," which focused on building relationships across racial and ethic lines She is also active on the Transit Committee and volunteers for Just Economics and the Poverty Initiative. She epitomizes living life to its fullest.

• Oscar Wong
• Born in Jamaica, Wong attended Notre Dame and worked as a civil and structural engineer in Charlotte before moving to Asheville and opening Highland Brewery in his retirement. What began as a three-person operation now has close to one-hundred employees and helped make Asheville the Beer City, USA it is today. He also services on the board of UNC Asheville, is a member of the Rotary Club, and is on the board of ARC of Buncombe County. 

• Captain Walton Boyer
• Walt served in the Navy for 30 years, conducting research analysis for ballistic missile defense. Now, he works as an advocate for seniors. He is a monumental voice for Continuing Care Retirement Center residents and employees, was treasurer of the North Carolina Continuing Care Residents Association (and was president), and is currently president elect of the National CCRA. Walt was also instrumental in the successful repeal of the North Carolina law that stripped away medical deductions for seniors and at present, he is in the heat of battle regarding Medicare's reimbursement for observation stays.

(Left to Right: Judith Cheney, Bob Tomasulo, Jeanne Bowman, Capt. Walton Boyer, Chris Moutos, Oscar Wong, Maggie Belle Gladden, and Eugene "Bob" Carr)

Congratulations to all the Senior Champions. If you have a senior you would like to nominate for next year, visit the Council on Aging's website at coabc.org for information on how to nominate. You can also give them a call at 828.277.8288.