A group of adults with special needs enjoyed a sunny weekend of wilderness camping at Agur Lake Camp in mid September.
The group, accompanied by caregivers Gloria Gagnon and Allison Smith of Princeton and District Community Services, was sponsored by Princeton Wood Preservers Ltd. of Princeton.
Beth Bonten, president of Agur Lake Camp Society, said the group was sponsored by Elizabeth Marion in honour of June Kolbe from Princeton who passed away earlier this year and left ALCS a donation of her hospital bed and two lifts.
Marion is owner and operator of Princeton Wood Preservers Ltd.
Bonten said Brad and June Hope contacted the society in the spring of 2014 to ask if ALCS would like to have a hospital bed and two lifts donated from a lady in Princeton who had just passed away.
June Hope had followed the progress of Agur Lake Camp since its inception.
Bonten added that Brad Hope had been an ALCS Board member and now was a Director of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
“We asked them how we might honour Mrs. Kolbe and they suggested we find a company, preferably from Princeton, who might sponsor a family or a group to come and enjoy our camp for a few days,” Bonten said.
The same day, she met with Marion and mentioned the sponsorship program that was being planned.
The New Beginnings group, part of PDCS, was selected for this sponsorship, Bonten explained, and five participants of the program volunteered to attend camp. They were Sharon Geluch, Nicola Hodge, Paul Gabriel, Brian Liberatore and Misty Tuck.
That group enjoyed the camp’s accessible trails, dock fishing, spacious easy-access cabins and wilderness setting.
Gagnon and Smith came with the group as assistants, helping them organize events like scavenger hunts, craft sessions and wiener roasts.
Agur Lake camp is located 20 kilometres west of Summerland.
Its mandate is to operate a barrier free wilderness camp with recreational facilities for children and adults who have special needs who attend with their families or guardians.
The camp operates from May to late September but the ALCS has a year round office at 9913 Main St., Summerland.
Office manager Mirjana Komljenovic is there to respond to phone, email or in person enquiries. The ALCS phone number is 250-809-7130, the web site is www.agurlakecamp.ca and the e-mail address is info@agurlakecamp.ca.
