Thanks to the generosity of the Vernon Leos Club, more people with disabilities have the opportunity to attend the Okanagan Military Tattoo.
Cindy Masters, development officer for Kindale, said their clientele will get the chance they wouldn’t normally have to attend the event, which runs July 29 and 30 at Kal Tire Place.
“The people who get to go from Kindale would not be able to afford to go otherwise,” said Masters.
The Leos give tickets out every year and will be volunteering at the tattoo, making sure the performers are fed.
Their donation falls under Kindale’s 150 Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) and Pat Broschart, Vernon Lions Club member and Leos advisor, said the project is inspiring.
“I get goosebumps just thinking about it, because I think it’s so worthy. I’m hoping it becomes contagious,” said Broschart.
The RAK project started in January as a celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, but Kindale hopes for the random acts to continue past the 150th year.
Masters said the random acts don’t need to be a grand gesture.
“It’s so simple, right down to ‘Have a nice day,’” she said.
Many people in Vernon and the surrounding communities have joined RAK, even lending their kindness to Kindale by helping them sand bag when their Seaton Centre location was threatened by flooding.
Before Masters arrived at the sand bag location, many people had already stepped up to lend their service.
“Then it was put out there that we were expert sand-baggers, so we were out there helping for a few weeks after that,” said Masters.
The goals for RAK are to keep it active and hopefully make the next generation’s kindness more automatic.
Lending their service at the Military Tattoo will be five Leos and two Lions.
“The Military Tattoo is a great display and the people who get to go are just really amazed by it,” said Broschart.
The Lions mentor the Leos Club, which is opened to kids 12 to 18-years-old who want to do community work and gain leadership skills, experiences, and opportunities.
“This is an absolutely beautiful random act of kindness,” said Masters.
Kindale provides service to people with diverse abilities and raises funds through their thrift store to help their programs.