��������

Lakewood celebrated its extensive past and looked forward to a bright future during Saturday’s 100th anniversary of the Lake Whatcom hot spot. 

Owned and operated by Western Washington University, Lakewood offers an array of watercraft, from paddle boards to sailboats, and is host to academic classes and team-building exercises at the challenge courses. Above all, it is an affordable and accessible place for people to connect with the outdoors.  

Dozens of people showed up for the centennial celebration despite the morning’s rainy weather. Visitors enjoyed a men’s crew race, Western sailing race, free boat rentals, remote-controlled sailboat displays, an open challenge course, refreshments in the Bill McDonald Lounge and a food truck. A mixture of Western students, alumni, parents, staff and community members ignored the 43-degree water to take out a boat or dip their feet off the dock.

For Lakewood Facility Manager Jeff Davis, Saturday’s festivities were bittersweet. Davis will retire May 31 after serving in his role for nearly 48 years, or “576 moons,” as he counted. It’s not an overstatement to call Lakewood Davis’ home — he and his family lived on the premises at one point. Now, they live a mere 1.5 miles across the lake and Davis travels to work by boat.