By: Hollie Hojek
hhojek@kcautv.com
She first became an Internet sensation earlier this year for her review of the new Olive Garden Restaurant in Grand Forks North Dakota, and Thursday, 86-year old Marilyn Hagerty was awarded with the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in Media.
Hagerty was at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion to receive her award. She's been writing for the North Dakota Grand Forks Herald for decades, but it wasn't until her review of the new Olive Garden came out that she gained national fame. Other food critics jumped on her review, basically poking fun at her for doing a review of the chain restaurant.
"Why would anyone write about the Olive Garden because they're kind of everywhere? Well, they forget in a town like mine, when you haven't had an Olive Garden and all of sudden you get one... it's pretty exciting news," said Hagerty.
The critics' comments sparked a media frenzy surrounding Hagerty's review, and many people started reaching out and lending their support to Hagerty.
Since March, she has appeared on a number of national media outlets discussing her Olive Garden story. Hagerty admits she had no idea what it meant to go "viral," she said she had to ask her son. But ever since then, it's been quite an interesting experience.
"We've just had so much fun over it, it's just been like a dream. Like, if you tried to make this up you couldn't make this up, because it's just so crazy," said Hagerty.
A truly witty and funny woman, at 86, Hagerty continues to write five columns a week for the Grand Forks Herald. Thursday, she became the 26th person to be awarded the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in Media at her alma mater.
