Wish granted: Man in hospice attends his 80th Kentucky Derby in a row
JENNIFER, THINGS LOOKING PRETTY GOOD. LET’S SEND IT BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU JAY. WELL, IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO THE DERBY, YOU KNOW THE SPECIAL FEELING OF BEING AT CHURCHILL DOWNS FOR THE BIG RACE. ONE LOUISVILLE MAN HAS GOTTEN TO EXPERIENCE THAT 79 TIMES IN A ROW. ADDIE MEINERS IS HERE NOW TO EXPLAIN HOW HE’S TRYING TO GET TO THAT ONE FINAL DERBY TO MAKE IT 80 ADDIE. THAT’S RIGHT. JENNIFER. THIS IS A REALLY COOL STORY. AND IT ALL STARTED WHEN CBS REPORTER DAVID BEGNAUD POSTED THIS VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA. CHECK IT OUT. CAN YOU HELP ME GRANT THIS TERMINALLY ILL MAN’S FINAL WISH? HE WANTS TO GO TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY THIS WEEKEND. HE’S A LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY NATIVE. HE’S BEEN TO 79 KENTUCKY DERBIES AND CAN’T AFFORD TO GO THIS YEAR. BOB, WHY IS HIS NAME? I’M TRYING TO GET A TICKET FOR HIM, HIS WIFE BARBARA, AND HIS CARETAKER. HE’S IN A WHEELCHAIR ON OXYGEN AND UNABLE TO WALK. BOB IS NOW 89 AND IN HOSPICE CARE. I’M GOING TO REACH OUT TO MY FRIENDS AT THE CBS STATION IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. WLKY TO LET THEM KNOW AND SEE IF THEY CAN HELP. SO WE TALKED WITH DAVID, AND WE’RE ABLE TO GET CONNECTED WITH BOB. SO I SAT DOWN WITH HIM AND HIS FAMILY LAST NIGHT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS PASSION FOR THE KENTUCKY DERBY. INSIDE OF THIS HOUSE, TUCKED JUST OFF OF BARDSTOWN ROAD, LIVES A PIECE OR SEVERAL PIECES OF KENTUCKY DERBY HISTORY, ONE OF THEM BEING BOB. WHY, I’M SURE YOU GOT ALL KINDS OF MEMORABILIA. BOB HAS BEEN TO 79 CONSECUTIVE KENTUCKY DERBIES. HIS FIRST ONE BEING IN 1946 WITH HIS MOM. HE WAS JUST EIGHT YEARS OLD. I LIVE IN FEAR AND CARAY YEAR, PEOPLE, SO I CAN SEE THE HORSE AS THE 17 HORSES THUNDERED PAST. BOB SAYS HE WAS HOOKED. YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU GO, YOU GET THE BUG FOR IT. JUST WATCHING THOSE HORSES, IT’S AWESOME. BOB’S WIFE, BARBARA, HAS BEEN HIS DATE TO 62. DERBY’S NOT CONSECUTIVE, BUT THEIR FIRST ONE WAS IN 1957. I HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE DERBY OR THOUGHT ABOUT THE DERBY, AND SO THE FIRST YEAR MY FRIEND, GIRLFRIEND AND HIS GUYS, THEY. WE ALL THEY ASKED, YOU KNOW, ASK US TO GO OUT THERE. I HAD NO IDEA. BUT WE’VE HAD A LOT OF, A LOT OF REALLY GOOD TIMES, YOU KNOW, FROM SNEAKING INTO TICKETED SECTIONS TO STANDING IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER TO GETTING HIS WAY ONTO THE BACKSIDE DURING THE ATTENDEE FREE COVID EVENT, BOB HAS ALWAYS FOUND A WAY TO KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE. IT’S BEEN PRETTY IMPORTANT. AND LIKE YOU, YOU KNOW, SEE ALL THE COLLECTIONS AROUND HERE, AND THEN HE HAS BOBBLEHEADS IN THERE. AND, AND IT’S BEEN JUST, I DON’T KNOW, JUST PART OF OUR LIFE REALLY. NOW, AS BOB’S LIFE IS NEARING ITS END, HE HAS ONE FINAL THING HE WANTS TO COMPLETE, AND THAT’S GETTING TO HIS 80TH KENTUCKY DERBY THIS SATURDAY. A WHOLE LOT. I WANT TO BE SOMETHING SPECIAL, SOMETHING SPECIAL INDEED. AND WE HAVE SOME GREAT NEWS TO REPORT. BOB’S WISH IS COMING TRUE. AFTER RECEIVING TEXTS AND REQUESTS DUE TO DAVID BEGNAUD VIDEO, CHURCHILL DOWNS IS COMING THROUGH WITH TICKETS. IN FACT, DAVID JUST DELIVERED THE NEWS TO BOB. I HAVE A BIG SURPRISE FOR YOU. CHURCHILL DOWNS HAS A TICKET FOR YOU TO GO TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY. YOU’RE GONNA GO? SOMEONE. THEY’RE GONNA SEND YOU AND YOUR WIFE AND A CARETAKER AND YOUR SON. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. REALLY, GUYS? ISN’T THAT COOL? IT IS. I KNOW 70, I MEAN, 79 DERBY’S, AND HE’S LIKE, I GOT TO GET TO 80. I’M LIKE, I, I UNDERSTAND. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE CHANGES THAT HE’S SEEN? NOT JUST AT CHURCHILL DOWNS, BUT WITH HORSE RACING AND 79 RACES. YEAH. HE WAS TELLING US, I CAN’T REMEMBER. THERE WAS A LONG SHOT, HE SAID. 1 IN 1963, I THINK. HE SAID HE TOLD ALL HIS FRIENDS ABOUT IT. HE WAS LIKE, I PUT $2 DOWN ON IT AND I THINK IT WON LIKE HIM LIKE 70 BUCKS. AND HE WAS LIKE, THAT WAS THE GREATEST THING EVER. YOU KNOW HOW IT IS. SO IT WAS REALLY COOL. SO HAPPY FOR YOU. WELL, I MEAN, HE’S NOT IN THE BEST OF HEALTH, BUT THAT’S GOING TO LIFT HIS SPIRITS BEYOND BELIEF. ABSOLUTELY. HIS FAMILY WAS ECSTATIC. SO WE’RE REALLY EXCITED THAT HE’S GETTING TO GO. THAT WAS GREAT. I KNOW A JOY FOR YOU TO BE A PART OF THAT. OH MY GOODNESS. TH
An 89-year-old Louisville native living in hospice care was able to fulfill one final wish this weekend—attending his 80th Kentucky Derby in a row.Bob Weihe marked the milestone Saturday at the 152nd Run for the Roses.Despite being in hospice, his lifelong tradition was made possible for another year after a story about his situation gained attention.Following a video shared by David Begnaud, Churchill Downs helped arrange tickets and grant his wish.On Saturday, Begnaud was able to meet up with Weihe at Churchill Downs and shared some pictures of them enjoying the day.Being in a wheelchair, unable to walk, and unable to afford it, he feared his dying wish would not come true.But after a public appeal, he got his wish.Weihe’s passion for the Derby began in 1946 when he attended his first race at the age of 8 with his mother.”I was in the infield, and she had me climb up under people so I could see the horses,” Weihe said. Watching the horses thunder past, he said he was hooked.”Once you go, you get a bug for it. Just watching those horses. It’s awesome,” he said.Weihe’s wife, Barbara, has been his date to 62 Derbies, starting in 1957.”I had never been to the Derby or thought about the Derby. And, so the first year, my girlfriend and his guys, they all, you know, asked us to go out there. I had no idea,” Barbara said. “But we’ve had a lot of, a lot of really good times, you know.”Over the years, Weihe has kept his streak alive through determination, including sneaking into ticketed sections and even finding his way onto the backside during the attendee-free COVID Derby.”It’s been pretty important. And like you, you know, see all the collections around here, and then he has bobbleheads in there, and it’s been just, I don’t know, just part of our lives really,” Barbara said.As his life nears its end, Weihe said attending his 80th Derby would mean a great deal to him.”It would mean a whole lot, something special,” he said.Churchill Downs responded to Begnaud’s video, providing tickets to make Weihe’s wish come true.
An 89-year-old Louisville native living in hospice care was able to fulfill one final wish this weekend—attending his 80th Kentucky Derby in a row.
Bob Weihe marked the milestone Saturday at the 152nd Run for the Roses.
Despite being in hospice, his lifelong tradition was made possible for another year after a story about his situation gained attention.
Following a video shared by David Begnaud, Churchill Downs helped arrange tickets and grant his wish.
On Saturday, Begnaud was able to meet up with Weihe at Churchill Downs and shared some pictures of them enjoying the day.
Being in a wheelchair, unable to walk, and unable to afford it, he feared his dying wish would not come true.
But after a public appeal, he got his wish.
Weihe’s passion for the Derby began in 1946 when he attended his first race at the age of 8 with his mother.
“I was in the infield, and she had me climb up under people so I could see the horses,” Weihe said. Watching the horses thunder past, he said he was hooked.
“Once you go, you get a bug for it. Just watching those horses. It’s awesome,” he said.
Weihe’s wife, Barbara, has been his date to 62 Derbies, starting in 1957.
“I had never been to the Derby or thought about the Derby. And, so the first year, my girlfriend and his guys, they all, you know, asked us to go out there. I had no idea,” Barbara said. “But we’ve had a lot of, a lot of really good times, you know.”
Over the years, Weihe has kept his streak alive through determination, including sneaking into ticketed sections and even finding his way onto the backside during the attendee-free COVID Derby.
“It’s been pretty important. And like you, you know, see all the collections around here, and then he has bobbleheads in there, and it’s been just, I don’t know, just part of our lives really,” Barbara said.
As his life nears its end, Weihe said attending his 80th Derby would mean a great deal to him.
“It would mean a whole lot, something special,” he said.
Churchill Downs responded to Begnaud’s video, providing tickets to make Weihe’s wish come true.
