Adventurer Dan Buettner to address First Friday luncheon Oct. 6
Explorer, adventurer and educator Dan Buettner, a 1983 graduate of the University of St. Thomas, is the first speaker in the St. Thomas Alumni Association’s 2006-07 First Friday Luncheon Series.
The luncheon begins at noon Friday, Oct. 6, at The Depot, 225 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Buettner, 46, of St. Paul, set several world records for endurance bicycling in the mid-1980s and early 1990s and is the founder of Quest Network Inc., an adventure learning company. His Quest Network enables millions of online explorers to direct a team of experts as they unravel archeological and historical mysteries and the time-tested wisdom of indigenous culture. The most-recent of his 11 “quests” is the Blue Zones Expedition, in which Buettner and a team of experts are seeking to discover factors contributing to healthy longevity.
Buettner’s first project using the “quest” model was Mayaquest, which in 1995 involved 1.3 million school children and sought to unearth answers to the collapse of the Mayan civilization. His treks and quests have led to an Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary (about “ Africatrek,” his trans-Africa expedition), a Minnesota Book Award (for his book about his 1990 “ Sovietrek” around the world with Russian cyclists), and dozens of television appearances, radio broadcasts and profiles in publications from National Geographic Adventure and Sports Ilustrated to Time and USA Today.
Over the past 10 years, Buettner has hit the speakers’ trail for colleges and universities as well as numerous corporate and organization events. He serves on the boards of The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and the British Virgin Islands Parks’ National Trust. For more information about Buettner and Quest Network, visit www.bluezones.com.
On first Fridays of each month during the academic year, the St. Thomas Alumni Association's First Friday Luncheon Series offers lunch and a speaker of current interest. St. Thomas alumni and friends, along with the general public, are invited. Cost of each luncheon and presentation is $25. A limited number of $10 student tickets are available at the St. Thomas Box Office.
Reservations for the Oct. 6 luncheon are due Friday, Sept. 29. Early reservations are recommended as these events fill quickly. For reservations and further information, call the St. Thomas Alumni Association, (651) 962-6430, or register online at the association’s Web site, https://www.stthomas.edu/alumni.
