Charlie Lake Ice Fly-in raises nearly $2,000

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — Around 22 planes and helicopters touched down on Charlie Lake this weekend to raise money for the Fort St. John Seniors Care Foundation.

After receiving $1,000 from Trojan Safety, $500 from Nathan R Bauder Law Corp and funds from the donation bucket available at the event, the Charlie Lake Fly-In raised about $2,000. Nearly $3,000 has been raised since 2021, when Kristie Mayer, her husband Chris and her dad Harvey Epp organized the first event.

The idea came after Harvey, a pilot of about 35 years, told his daughter he wanted to get his friends together to talk about aviation.

The event involves aviation enthusiasts arriving around Mayer’s cabin on the lake by car, plane or helicopter to hang out and raise money for the local seniors.

Mayer has no association with the FSJ Seniors Care Foundation but instead chose to raise funds for the non-profit because of the support they give seniors.

“Hopefully, we’re all gonna be there one day,” Mayer said.

Though the weather wasn’t the best over the weekend, she said the unofficial count was 22 planes and a helicopter on the lake.

The organizers’ goal for the event is to eventually see 50 aircraft on the lake, and they hope to achieve that in 2024, weather permitting.

To volunteer, for more information, or to donate, Mayer can be reached at kristie.23@hotmail.com.