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100-year-old woman takes hot air balloon ride for birthday

Evelyn Jansma

LANSING, Mich. — A grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday by taking a hot air balloon ride.

WZZM reported Evelyn Jansma was treated to the ride by her grandson, Terry Visser, who contacted a Mason, Michigan, hot air balloon company 10 months after the Oct. 23 birthday.

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"When I told them the ride was a birthday present for my grandma, who was turning 100, they offered to give her the ride for free," Visser told WZZM.

Jansma and close family and friends gathered together for her take off on a hot air balloon Saturday.

"This is something I've looked forward to for a very long time," Jansma told WZZM. "I'm excited because I got a telephone call from my grandson and he said, 'You want to go for a balloon ride on Saturday?' And I said, 'Yes I do; yes I do; yes I do.'"

Jansma, who uses a wheelchair, was lifted into the hot air balloon, which had a seat inside the basket for her to sit on for the 40-minute ride.

"It's just great to be able to give back like this," Visser said. "Seeing her face during that ride was priceless."

Isn't age just a number?

Posted by WZZM 13 Grand Rapids on Monday, August 22, 2016