Holiday Greetings and a Wish from the Lopez Island Yacht Club . . .
A message from your 2021 and 2022 Commodores: Wishing Everyone a Cozy Holiday and a Happy New Year!
With appreciation of our membership during the past year, we extend our very best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season. Whatever is beautiful, whatever is meaningful, whatever brings happiness, may it be yours this holiday season and throughout the coming year.
May it include good weather, good fishing, opening of the borders, new cruising destinations, and new friendships forged through our club associations.
~ Dusty Forster (incoming 2022 Commodore)
~ John Zaborsky (outgoing 2021 Commodore)
2021 Holiday Party Photo Gallery
It was a festive, merry, and joyful celebration with a touch of sparkle!
It had been a long while since our yacht club had been able to meet, greet, and break bread with other members in a comfortable, cozy, indoor event. In anticipation of the 57 dinner reservations, our clever, resourceful, and industrious elves worked their magic to transform our “clubhouse” (the Islander Resort banquet room) to a holiday haven and set the mood, guaranteeing a jolly good time.
Joyce Loewen (our Commodore’s wife) took charge of the table decorations, each with a holiday wreath and candle centerpiece and trimmed with special “LIYC” Christmas tree ornaments, hand-painted by Joyce’s niece, Sarah. The scattering of yummy chocolates was not unnoticed and soon disappeared. The untold story is that the wreaths purchased for the event were starting to dry out and rot. So our resourceful Joyce showed our Commodore how to disassemble the wreaths and recruited the help of member, Mary Rey, to replace the greenery with the (stolen) evergreen fronds and branches from their friends and long time members, Steve and Cynthia Fessler’s yard (who are in Southern California for the winter). I love that there is still a essence of piracy left in our club!
Coming into the foyer of the banquet room was equally festive. Dusty Forster’s wife, Michelle, had her elves, Michelle Nelson and Adria Alhadeff, up late the night before, with their hot glue guns, creating tree decorations from items picked up on the beach. Shells, beach glass, driftwood, a little glue, paint, ribbon, and other embellishments . . . and a lot of imagination, created beautiful ornaments that were artfully hung on the tree (that you will see in the background of the photos presented below).
As members and their guests started arriving, the atmosphere was instantly filled with extra energy and cheer. It was a night filled with joy and triumph over all the anxiety and disappointment experienced over the last two years. The conversations were lively and genuine smiles and laughter were abundant. Judy Welker, the Web Wench, set up a photo booth in front of the Christmas tree and is humbly presenting these snapshots-in-time for those who could not attend and the attendees.
The appetizers were a treat, and the dinner of prime rib and halibut was fabulous. After the dinner and introduction of new members and guests, the change of guard took place, where the outgoing officers pass down their office flag to the new officers for next year. Another annual and seasonal reason to celebrate!
Toys Ahoy Toy Collection a Huge Success
Members brought purchased toys and gifts to the party for our local families to be gifted though the Lopez Island Family Resource Center. Members that were not planning to attend, left them with Barbara Carver who graciously offered her home as a drop off point and stored them until the party. There were three decorated boxes in Islander’s foyer, near the Christmas tree, set up to collect the toys as members and guests came in. Dusty Forster, next year’s Commodore, took them to the Family Resource Center the following day and reported that the organization was over the moon with the club’s response to toy drive. We will do it again, with the club’s help.
We hope you enjoy the photos of our members in attendance, and we look forward to other such events through 2022.
May your holiday and Christmas shine brightly with joy and goodwill! We hope your holiday celebrations are filled with lots of fun, surprises, and maybe some sparkle!
Stay safe,
~ The Web Wench
Judy, thanks for taking and posting all these photos. 🌈🦄❤️
These photos are wonderful! I am smiling and smiling and remembering that magical night. Thank you Judy!