BIKES FOR BOOKS

There was quite a surprise waiting for seventeen year old Kelan Harty.

Kelan is a wonderful pianist and last Saturday he joined the men of Southern Gate Masonic Lodge #124 in an effort to entertain the guests at the Elks Hall, Oliver.

The event was the annual Strawberry Tea hosted by the Order of the Eastern Star.  Each year the gentlemen of the OES, also known as the “Soggy Bottom Boys”, put on a performance that they call singing, however the audience usually ends up in fits of laughter at their out of tune efforts.  This year Kelan, in addition to joining the men in their performance, brought along his keyboard to entertain the guests.

The Masonic lodge participates in a yearly program that is designed to prompt schoolchildren to read more, it is called Bikes for Books.  Each year the lodge, with the assistance of Canadian Tire, Oliver, presents a bicycle to each of the three Oliver schools and the teachers pick the most worthy child to receive a bike.

This year the senior winner was Kelan who is home schooled through Oliver Youlearn.ca The junior bicycles will be awarded at Oliver Elementary School and Tuc el Nuit schools later in June.

submitted .. Pat Whalley

photo credit .. Susan Dodd