Twelve Days of Goodness 2021, part 2

*The following is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.

We are touching the hearts of our seniors for the twelve days of goodness on the answers for elders podcast network. Get to know what we’re up to this season of two thousand and twenty one and welcome back everyone to answers for elders radio and twelve days of goodness. Wait radio right now because we are opening twelve days of goodness. Actually we opened yesterday Friday, on Blue Friday, at the North Shore Senior Center, and we are going to be doing events all twelve days in senior living. Are Not senior living communities, but senior communities. But we are this year for the first time, officially teamed up with the seahawkers booster club and I am here with the President of the Central Council of the seahawkers. You, Lawnda Morgan and Yolanda. Welcome back to this segment. You know, I want to go back a little bit about our just because we’re focusing on seniors. I want to talk about kind of the cultural fabric of how our original twelves, you know, they started the legacy right you know, I remember, I have all kinds of memories of going to the Kingdom with my father. He had a motor home and there was like a million motor homes in the in the kingdom parking lot, and we would that was tailgating back then. There wasn’t hot alley back then. It was actually you would have people that would they would show up and buses and motor homes and Campers and and they would have barbecues and and all kinds of things out on the you know, in front and you’d walk amongst all these motor homes and they’re probably be a hundred of them that were be that were out there. And you know, I remember that big kingdom parking lot. That was just so I mean those are rich memories. And of course there was bill the beer man and there was rick the peanut guy and there was all these different types of characters that were in the early days. So you Landa how did the seahawkers play into those those times and what, what kind of memories do you know about? You know, the same of it is, is that okay? So seventy six I was probably I was barely twelve years old. Yeah, that’s right. Yeah, and my father, I mean I’m I was the only child, only daughter, you know, and so he and still many of the loves he had for all the sports that he watched. So That’s how I became pretty much a fan of our local sports. You know, he and I, we weren’t rich in any means, but we were rich in, of course, family and love, and so we didn’t attend, I mean we didn’t have the opportunity, of course, attend a game, but we of course cheered from our chairs in our I love that for that. And so, you know, to be to be a part of this now, it’s absolutely amazing to me. It’s almost like a dream to me, and it’s been a passion of mine. I mean, one of the biggest loves I have is, of course, the Seahawks, and so when I see, when I’m able to now see and meet like Mr and Mrs Seahawk, you know, Jeff and Dedy, when I’m able to not only see mama blue but have personal conversations with her, that will for a lifetime, however much longer I have on this earth, will mean so much to me. And to know that this woman was the one that started the way original cheerleader. Yeah, like she he was is. Yeah, she is still like a good luck charm. I mean, I remember guys pretty much you know, telling us how they would never ever go to our side of the line until they’ve either touched her, hugged her or had words with her before they actually went on their way. I was John Ryan. I remember with John Ryan. One of the things that she always shared with me was that that John Ryan would not take the field until he touched her and came up to her. and Dave Craig and her still have an incredibly close friendship and that’s another one that used to always connect with her and that’s one of the reasons why her seats are right there at the tunnel so she is able to kind of be there with the guys and and oftentimes after the games they give her stuff. Now that give her like their gloves and they’re all this stuff. I mean, I love the fact that there’s just been this long standing history with her and now that she’s in her s it’s really amazing to me to see how she’s still with us and certainly we’re so blessed to have her absolute and she has a deep history also with the seahawkers. She does president for the Organization for a long time as well and in fact she is often said to me. I have an album for you that I would love to give to you and of all the things that I had put together back then when I was president, and to hear about how she held her meetings. You would invite many of the current players to her meetings. She would, you know, basically serve them a meal, you know, so they would come in, a meal was involved and they would bring their wives in there. Yeah, during the meeting. Yeah, I’m sitting here going wow, I would love to be able to do that again, you know, some of our meetings and everything. Yeah, and so you know back then, you know, that brings up the point of in the kingdom days, the players would arrive at the same times that the fans would and they would walk in this the king get along with the crowd. So you’d see like Jim Zorn and Steve Large walking up with the fans and they’re cheering them in there, walking through the crowd and doing that kind of a dynamic. We don’t do that anymore. But one of the things, I think that there’s really been a connection with the team from day one started there and it started the fact that they were just basically part of us and in the early days and of course, obviously for security reasons and things like that, the world has changed, but it’s so amazing to have seen that so obviously we have to say one of the things it’s so amazing about the seahawks and about the legends that we have that coat on the visits is that I think we have forty four that live here but still live here and say yeah, it wouldn’t surprise me if there are even more than that, because it’s just absolutely amazing how they come and they play for this for our team, and yet they love it so much here that they want to make it their home. Yeah, and so I’m almost certain the numbers got to be higher than that. You know, it’s growing all the time, obviously. And then we’ve had some that moved away but then they came back to live here. Yeah, you know my neighbor, my next door neighbor, Antonio Edwards, he played for the Seahawks, I think for seven years and Tonio’s my next door neighbor and he moved away and came back and now he lives here full time. Walter Jones, same thing. Yeah, you know he’s back here for good. You know Edwin Bailey again here’s that’s another one that are of our legends that have you know, that may went back home, but they decide to know, I really want to be in Seattle here. Some of our legends actually have multiple homes and still maintain a home here and and so that’s an amazing thing. But then we’ve got people like Kem Chancellor and Cliff Avril and Mike and Doug Baldwin. They all live, still live here in Seattle and that’s the thing that I think is so incredible about again, our culture and learning about the different teams. As I started twelve days of goodness and I started working with the Alumni Association, I learned what a unique area and culture that we have compared to all other NFL teams. Because one of the things that when I was speaking with a alumni association one day, they’re their community outreached person said to me, I want to let you know that Seattle is unique in the fact that you’ve got such a clush, strong unification of fans in your area in like, for example, if you look down a street in New Jersey, you’re going to see jets, you know fans, you’re going to see giants fans. You’re going to see Washington fans, you’re going to see all different types, right. So, so the thing that is so interesting about Seattle is that we truly have such a strong fan base, millions and millions of fans. But I really want to commend, you know, a lot of the reasons why we do is because of people like like, you know, the seahawkers, I like Mama Blue. It’s a culture that was created, it’s community and it’s people that feel like they’re part of this fabric, and I think this is what when we say the seahawkers are such an exceptional organization, I truly believe that, because that’s what they’ve been able to achieve here that really no place else in the country has been able to do. Well. You know, when I first got involved with the seahawkers back in two thousand and fifteen and I came in as an interim secretary, you know, I didn’t know much about the seahawkers at that time. I didn’t even know they existed. It wasn’t until I asked, Hey, what is it that you guys do on the offseason, you know postseason, and it was still ward who actually said, you know, you need to join the save hawkers and of course she belongs to south sound. So I joined south sound and so it’s like from that point on it was like, oh my goodness, you know, this is absolutely wonderful how the seahawkers are integrated into so many things that the seahawks do. And so now is being president. What I’m trying to do is, of course, aligne many of the things that we support in regards to what the things of course, the seahawks support as well. So, and that includes our senior community. You know, they’re they’re definitely, you know, support a very supportive in regards to the partnership that we’ve put together this year and going up to, you know, the communities of the seniors and showing them love and bringing them, you know, the legends of course, tell stories about football games and all that, but it’s it’s definitely we are definitely a unique collab a unique organization. Yeah, and our I’ve been told that by Mike Flood, who is our of course, our VP of community relations. He is clearly, as stated many, many times over in the years that I’ve been involved with this organization, how very different, very unique and that were by all means like no other and we have other other teams who are actually envious with the fan base. Absolutely, without a doubt, without a doubt, and so you lawand we encourage every single fan out there. If you’re twelve, just go to seahawkers dot org, that’s see a h a w K ers dot org, and just sign up and be a member because, you know what, it’s really easy. You can do it online. The great part about that is is that it you, you become kind of an official fabric. You’ll get a membership card, you’ll be untouched with a lot of the inside things that are going on with the team that that the average twelves don’t get. And in the meantime we’re going to talk a little bit more about the history, about our how our seniors have been involved and also as we moved into what’s now called lumen field, but it’s taken on several names as well, and Yolanda will be right back with us right after this. This podcast was brought to you by our sponsors, Humana and care partners. We are so grateful for your sponsorship, as well as all the senior providers that came forward to make our events happen over the twelve days of goodness to each and every one of you have a happy holiday season. In Two thousand and twenty