Mary LaFleur of Anacortes has enjoyed boating in the Northwest since she was young and looks back at some great memories of time spent on the water with her friends and family. But she understood that, it was because of the sacrifices of others she was able to enjoy her favorite pastime.
“It occurred to me,” she said, “while I was out there having a good time, someone somewhere on the other side of the world was standing guard.” LaFleur was referring to the men and women serving in the armed forces, and she was looking for an opportunity to express her appreciation.
Beginning in April of this year, she began contacting friends and associates, and in the span of four months organized the inaugural “Operation: Orca-Dungie” on July 20-21 in Anacortes.
Over the two days, a group of military veterans from the Northwest traveled to Anacortes where they were treated to a whale watching tour aboard the Mystic Sea on the first day, where they saw Orcas, Humpbacks, and a very rare sighting of a fin whale – a whale not seen in Puget sound for over five decades. Day two was spent crabbing and sightseeing aboard boats hosted by local boaters, and finished off with a huge crab feed.
“The Anacortes crab feed was one of the best experiences I’ve had as a vet!” one veteran said. “The Anacortes community really went all out for us.”
LaFleur thanks the many supporters who donated their time and resources in to making the event happen.
To help out, or for more information, contact operationorcadungie@gmail.com .
Check out a short video of “Operation: Orca-Dungie”
