Sylvan Lake Lions Club members heard how much Kaylee Couture enjoyed her experience at Camp He Ho Ha, and saw pictures of her participating in various activities, during their meeting Monday evening.
She thanked them for the chance to attend camp and said she wanted to go back.
Couture’s caregiver, Toni told the Lions that Kaylee is normally shy but had lots of fun participating in different things and meeting new friends.
Activities included a Scavenger Hunt where participants visited various stations and tried to guess what they were touching in bowls, swimming, archery, a tractor ride and a barge ride.
Kaylee who was in a wheelchair went down a zip line during one of the activities. And she got to go in a canoe on a trip with one of the counsellors.
On skit night, she was to dress up as one of her favourite actresses or singers, do a song and act like them. She chose Taylor Swift and sang Trouble. One of the pictures passed around during the meeting showed her getting an award for being the funniest Taylor Swift. “She really sang out that day,” said Toni.
Of a flying saucer type swing in the playground at the camp, Toni said, “Kaylee really loved it, I couldn’t get her off it.”
She drove the barge with Mr. Sparkle, posed with Mr. Sunshine, the camp’s mascot and even had a camp out, sleeping on an air mattress in a big tarped over tent down by the lake. Kaylee also loved the camp fire.
Her father surprised her the final night of camp, showing up to dance with her at the windup. Then picking her up the next day to bring her home.
“She had lots of fun, didn’t want to leave,” said Toni.
“We’re happy you had a really good time,” said Lions president Kay Bystrom.
Couture was one of three people the Lions sponsored to attend Camp He Ho Ha this summer from proceeds of their Flight Night. The others were August Hodgson and Simon Uscisk.
Camp He Ho Ha, short for Camp Health, Hope & Happiness, is a camp for children and adults with disabilities at a year round, completely wheelchair accessible recreational facility at Seba Beach on Lake Isle. The summer camp program hosts over 750 people with disabilities or illnesses during 10 different six day camps.