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Kelowna  

102nd birthday boat cruise


When asked what she wanted to do for her 102nd birthday, Pearl Lynn didn’t have to think twice.

The Hawthorn Park resident couldn’t wait to get out onto the waters of Okanagan Lake with her friends and family.

“I thought it would be a very good idea, it would be different,” says an excited Pearl.

Thanks to Therapeutic Lake Cruise Society, Pearl’s birthday wish was made a reality. The senior arrived at Shelter Bay, on Wednesday, and was wheeled aboard a 24' Princecraft pontoon boat, by captain Pierre Caouette.

“A lot of seniors want to go on the lake, you know Kelowna’s summer doesn’t have to only be for tourists,” jokes Caouette.

Started by two local women back in 2009 the Therapeutic Lake Cruise (TLC) society takes seniors, disabled and special needs groups from the community out several times a week on a one hour boat ride.

“It’s all (ran) by volunteers, no one is making a penny,” explains Caouette. “The price we charge, we charge the minimum so they can afford to come out on the lake, it just pays for the gas and the maintenance.”

For Pearl an afternoon on the lake with family and friends was more than she could have asked for, well other than the mocha birthday cake she kindly ordered.

“We are really excited to have an opportunity to have our seniors out onto the water,” says Kristin Reed, Recreation Coordinator at Orchard Manor.

Reed says a lot of seniors who ask to come out on the cruise are usually former members of the Navy, or like to reminisce about being on a boat as a child with their family.

The TLC society is currently in need of more volunteer captains and they will assist you in obtaining your captain license if need be.

“We need more people to come on the lake, if we had more captains we would be on the lake four or five days a week,” Caouette explains.

To get involved and help put a smile on someone’s face like the one that came across Pearl’s on her 102 birthday contact tlcsociety.ca



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