When you meet Mike Sanders, it’s clear he’s a problem-solver at heart. A skilled mechanic and devoted father, he’s the kind of person who sees possibility. Last summer, after attending CNIB Lake Joe with his son Evan, he spotted a unique opportunity to give back.
Evan is a spirited young boy with a curious mind and a love of learning. When Evan was two, Mike and his wife Melissa started to notice Evan tilting his head when looking at things and that he was drawn to the brightness of LED flashlights. It wasn’t until meeting with a specialist that they received a diagnosis that changed everything: “Your son is blind.”
It was a moment of reckoning for Mike and his wife Melissa. The reality set in, and so did a shift in perspective. “You learn to change the way you approach things,” Mike reflects. “Evan’s a very capable individual. We just have to teach differently.”
With the support of CNIB and connections to services and resources, the family began carving a path that embraced Evan’s strengths and encouraged his passions. Evan became a confident Braille user and an audiobook worm. He likes playing soccer and building things. Like any kid, he just wants to be included.
Mike learned about CNIB Lake Joe through Evan’s resource teacher, who strongly recommended the experience. A self-described introvert, Mike was a little apprehensive about his first trip to Lake Joe with Evan a couple of years ago, but ended up loving it.
“I was so happy with the experience,” says Mike. “I met a lot of great people. You hear other people’s stories and meet like-minded people going through similar experiences. I came home and told my wife that we’re ALL going next year.” And they did.
On one of their trips to camp, Evan recalls asking his dad if they could go out in the paddleboats together. “This was kind of funny,” he shares, chuckling, “The boat was in disrepair, and all we could do was paddle in circles. My dad said, ‘I’m going to fix some of these boats,’ and we came back later in the year to bring the boats to our house to work on them.”
For Mike, it wasn’t just about fixing old equipment but about creating something together.
Over the fall and winter, the family turned their garage into a workshop. Evan and his siblings, Noah and Annie, helped with the restoration and raised money for the needed parts. Mike grew pumpkins and “sold” them to friends and neighbours for a donation. Evan says it was fun standing on a trailer and shouting at cars, “Pumpkins, pumpkins, all funds go to CNIB!”
In May, Mike, Evan and Noah returned the fully repaired paddleboats to Lake Joe, enabling hundreds of guests to make memories on the lake.
For Mike, the project wasn’t just about giving back – it was about connection.
“I don’t have a lot of money to donate,” he says, “but I do have the talent, and this was a way I could give back and thank CNIB for the experiences we’ve had. This was a way for me to help the community that is helping us.”
Mike, Evan, his mom, and his sister will return to CNIB Lake Joe this summer. With the paddleboats they helped bring back to life, their family will enjoy the ride in more ways than one. There’s a good chance Evan will be at the helm, grinning ear to ear, knowing he had a hand in making it all possible. And as they paddle across the water together, it won’t just be about where they’re going, but how far they’ve come.