Our three-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter Inara couldn’t wait for Pirate Pak Day to sail into the local White Spot to devour one of her favourite feasts...
Her Pirate Pak order consisted of a multi-grain grilled cheese sandwich, veggies with dip, a glass of orange juice, and her first-ever sundae – all her choices.
We explained to her that if we waited until next week, specifically Aug. 13, to go to White Spot, then $2 from the cost of her meal would help send sick kids in B.C. to camp.
While she halted long enough to tell us how much she loved her first camping experience this summer with Mommy and Daddy, she could not be dissuaded in her quest to devour a Pirate Pak. Given her age and her love of pirates (shared by one of her nanas), we understood and instantly caved.
Even though we couldn’t convince Inara to wait for Pirate Pak Day to arrive, I’m hoping to persuade some readers to dock at White Spot this coming Wednesday.
Let me elaborate a little more. Zajac Ranch for Children is a charity that gives kids and young adults – who are coping with life-threatening illnesses and chronic disabilities – a memorable week at camp.
They get a chance to horseback ride, kayak, and just revel in the joys and camaraderie of camping along the shores of Stave Lake (which I have to tell you is a gorgeous body of water not well known to many, that is strategically located in my old stomping grounds of Stave Falls in Mission).
Anyway, as usual, I digress. So back on topic, Shelley Lemmen and her team of 78 staff at the Willowbrook White Spot are hoping to raise more than $4,000 to help send kids to this camp, and are offering a tasty way to do that.
Last year, this White Spot store served about 2,000, and while Lemmen wanted to set a realistic goal of 2,100 this year, her service manager Sam Arefi has a personal desire to top 2,500.
“It’s a one time event that we do for them, so I figure go big, or go home,†Arefi said, noting that he and all the staff closed the restaurant for a day last month and visited this camp.
It was a team-building exercise, but it also opened their eyes to the volunteer-driven facility and all it offers to sick kids.
Wouldn’t it be cool if we could help this long-standing Langley restaurant achieve its goal, not just for the motivated staff, but – moreover – for the kids.