Lifelong fans see their first live Packers game

A Maple Grove couple married nearly seven decades got to see their favorite football team live and in person for the first time ever.

Although they did not win, John and Cookie were excited to see the Green Bay Packers take on the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. bank stadium Sunday.

"We’ve been Packer backers all our lives,” Cookie Kolodziejcyk, Green Bay Packers fan, said.

When it’s game day for the Green Bay Packers, John and Cookie normally cheer on their favorite team from the living room. But on Sunday, for the first time, the couple saw the Packers hit the gridiron from the stands.

“This is the most important wish in my life to see the Packers and the Vikings play,” Cookie said.

The Twilight Wish Foundation and the Minnesota Vikings granted their wish.

The national nonprofit makes dreams a reality for seniors who don’t have the means to make them happen on their own.

“We’ve had some rough spots, but we’ve made it through. We’re strong Polish people, so we’ll make it,” Cookie said.

John is 91 and Cookie is 90. Both of them have been battling chronic health issues.

John, a Korean war veteran, has been disabled for years after a mining accident. Cookie recently had a heart valve replaced.

The family says money is tight so seeing a game in person was out of the question.

Cookie and John said seeing the packers make a touchdown in person, surrounded by family, is the chance of a lifetime.

“It’s wonderful. It’s a dream come true. My wish came true,” Cookie said.