Were it not for a regular medical checkup, Charlie Parkerson may not be alive today.

On Aug. 1, 2001, Parkerson was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Follow-up tests also revealed skin cancer, which was operated on Sept. 1 of that year.

During his prostate surgery on Nov. 1, doctors discovered an irregularity with his heart.

"The doctor said he couldn't figure it out because I'd just had a stress test," Parkerson said. "As it turns out, I had a blockage in a location known as the Widow Maker. That's the area that shows no symptoms, but you step out the door to get the morning paper and you drop dead."

Parkerson had open-heart surgery last Thanksgiving. He's now fine, with no lingering effects of the conditions.

"But they wouldn't let me ski last year, that's the problem," Parkerson said.

Every Christmas for 22 years, he has gone on a Vermont ski trip with his wife Maggie, and three children Laura, a Chicago teacher, Arthur, who is one of Lancaster Farms' farm managers, and Sarah, a student at the University of Glasgow in Scotland.