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North Tahoe Boys & Girls Club students win rare cruise on Thunderbird yacht

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Katelyn Welsh

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – What began as an art contest turned into a once in a lifetime opportunity for 10 young winners to climb aboard a piece of Tahoe’s history on Monday, Aug. 11.

Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe students earned a ride aboard the Thunderbird on Monday, Aug. 11.
Provided / Siobhan Fenton

Travel North Tahoe Nevada and the Thunderbird Lodge partnered to organize a competition for the Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe.

The prize—a highly coveted ride on the one-of-a-kind 1940 Thunderbird yacht.

The challenge—use their imagination, creativity and critical thinking to inspire keeping Tahoe blue and beautiful for generations to come.

That creativity produced a red caped Super Trash Can, a Keep Tahoe Blue collage of Tahoe’s wildlife and plants, as well as mixed media creations of clay, colored paper, drawings and even straws that draw attention to concerns and inspire stewardship.

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The Boys & Girls Club serves children across North Lake Tahoe, but Dani Arneson, director of program services, says that despite growing up in the beautiful location, many kids don’t get the opportunity to explore all that Tahoe has to offer.

“Surprisingly,” she says, “some of them have never even visited a Tahoe beach.”

This opportunity not only ushered the kids to Tahoe’s edge and beyond, but also thrust them back in time, diving into Tahoe’s past.

The wonderment began before the 10 winners even exited the van, calling the Thunderbird Lodge grounds as “fairyland.”

Wide eyes, inquisitive questions and, “I want to live here,” exploded from the excited children, as they stepped out of the van and heard the cascades of the late George Whittell, Jr.’s waterfall.

But before the kids boarded the 55-foot vessel, Thunderbird Preservation Society curator, Bill Watson, and director of museums and history, Christine Karpchuk Johnson, PhD, took the kids on a storied tour of Whittell’s estate.

From viewing the barns where he kept his elephant, Mingo, and learning how Mingo helped hoist metal artwork onto structures, to wandering through staff and Whittell’s private quarters, the kids took in the grand estate and learned how Whittell’s ownership of a large portion of the east shore contributed to its preservation today.

The kids finally made their way to the Thunderbird via Whittell’s secret underground tunnel.

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Once on board, the 10 eagerly plugged their ears in preparation for the roaring twin V-12 engines, which then rumbled through each passenger and amplified in the boat house.

On the water, the small passengers took turns driving the boat and waving at onlooking and admiring boaters.

It was a cruise that they will never forget, Watson said, “One that connected their creativity to the very waters they seek to protect.”

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A ride aboard the Thunderbird is often out of reach for many families. The event was a part of the Thunderbird Preservation Society’s goal to make the experience more attainable. The society’s ride-along raffles at community events are another example of this effort.

“These remarkable vessels are expensive to operate and maintain,” Watson explains, “yet I believe their beauty and history should be shared with everyone, not just those who can afford to pay their pro-rata share of that considerable cost.”

It was a goal that also aligned with Travel North Tahoe Nevada’s pillar of fostering community character and providing a space for often under-heard voices.

“How do we get the underserved communities a seat at the table to a point where they feel like they’re part of this community?” Mike Beiro, community engagement and advocacy manager said for Travel North Tahoe Nevada.

This art contest did just that, but it also made it fun and memorable. The winning artwork will be on display in the organization’s welcome center in Incline Village.

“We are incredibly grateful to Travel North Tahoe Nevada and the Thunderbird Lodge for creating such a unique opportunity for our kids,” Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe CEO Mindy Turner Carbajal said. “By combining art, culture, and environmental stewardship, they are helping inspire the next generation to protect Lake Tahoe’s beauty for years to come.”

Watson hopes the experience not only sparks lifelong, inspiring and creative stewardship among the kids, but also demonstrates how the health of the water and the historical legacy of the past are deeply intertwined.

“You can’t fully appreciate one without the other,” he says. “Without the acts of humans in history, the environment might be in a different place—for better or worse.”

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