It's all thanks to Bea Dezell.
"Bea got me started," said Sylvia Cooney, 89, volunteer for the Canadian Council of the Blind White Cane Club, Prince George chapter, for more than 30 years. "I've been the treasurer for 100 years! It's important for people to get out of their houses when they can't see so I pick them up and bring them to the lunches because we all love to go out and eat."
The local White Cane Club meets once a month at St. Giles Presbyterian Church, 1500 Edmonton St., where the church ladies' group caters the lunch provided.
"So I've been driving them all these years and I still am," said Cooney, who also volunteers with the Good Cheer Club and has done extensive work with the Prince George Community Foundation as well.
The Good Cheer Club was founded in 1922 and after many generations of serving the community the group will retire permanently after their very next meeting. It will be a very sad day for Cooney who has volunteered since the 80s with the group that raised funds by hosting rummage sales twice a year and donating all the proceeds to local community groups in need.
Doreen McFarlane, who has volunteered with the White Cane Club for the last 18 years, said Sylvia is a very loyal volunteer that has taken it as her personal mission to make sure members of the club have the rides they need to get to club meetings.
"Sylvia did all the communication with the Canadian Council of the Blind in the past, as well as being treasurer and a driver," said McFarlane. "Us girls go around to all the senior care homes to offer some guidance on the care of those who are visually impaired - like when serving their meal, tell the person where each item is on the plate - things a sighted person wouldn't even think about."
During the club meetings, lunch is served and then the afternoon is spent playing games like table bowling. Volunteers like Sylvia and Doreen happily guide club members through the fun and laughter.
"Sometimes that is the only outing those who are visually impaired go to," said McFarlane and the volunteers, like Sylvia, take that very seriously.
Back in the day, Bea Dezell, a long-time volunteer with the White Cane Club would host a picnic at the family's Tabor Lake cabin.
"We always did the food for the picnic," recalled McFarlane. "Sylvia would always bring the potato salad and people really loved it. Sylvia has always been very dedicated to the White Cane Club and she's always been appreciated."
Flip through The Citizen's Volunteer City series, featuring stand-out volunteers in Prince George:
