PONTOON RIDES - Care center residents and staff participating in pontoon rides on July 9 are pictured above. Front row: Diane Stenzel, Phyllis Hein, Lillian Gehring, David Ewert. Back row:  Don Tune, driver, Marti Lindekugel
Photo by Ginger Tune

By KATHY FLOR
New Richland Care Center Activities Director

On July 9 and 12, with the weather in our favor, the New Richland Care Center staff loaded residents on the facility bus and made the short trip out to St. Olaf Lake for pontoon rides.

Thanks to St. Olaf Lake resident, Tom McCrady, twenty-one New Richland Care Center residents were able to enjoy pontoon rides on St. Olaf Lake. Tom arranged several pontoons, drivers, and dock hands to assist with making this a spectacular day for the care center residents. He also made sure the public dock was at a sufficient level for the residents to successfully get on the pontoons. The care center would also like to thank the New Richland Area Sportsman Club for improving the area and upgrading it to make it handicap accessible for the wheelchairs to unload from the bus with ease. The residents thoroughly enjoyed the rides. Words cannot describe their gratefulness for everyone’s assistance with this event. 

The care center is very grateful to Tom and the following people for providing safe and enjoyable rides: Pontoon drivers - Don Tune, Jim Halsey, Rick Schultz, and Gary Miller; dock hands -  John and Jackie Flor, Phil and Deb Murray, Jeff Christianson, Jerry Arndt, Tom McCrady, Al Grabau, Darlene Miller, Diane Ellingson, and Ginger Tune.