Sons Treat Moms To Evening Cruise

By Kelly Garrison
Features Editor

A Mother’s Day cruise along the Southern California coastline will pamper female guests with flowers, gifts and a full course meal this weekend.

The Beacon House Mother’s Day Cruise will give men who are recovering from alcohol addiction a chance to reunite with moms while fundraising for a cause. Phyllis Schmidt, a board member and resident of Belmont Shore, started the event 20 years ago to raise money for the organization’s recovery program and said it has grown since its beginnings.

“Substance abuse touches everyone, and I admire what Beacon House does,” she said. “I started this because Beacon House believes in family reconciliation.”

The event is open to the public and will feature food, entertainment, door prizes and other festivities. Women who attend will receive miniature floral arrangements and a certificate of appreciation.

“They come out with more things than they can carry,” said Beacon House Executive Director Luis Lozano. “It has become a really nice event for the community and for the men in the house.”

The Beacon House Association of San Pedro, at 1003 S. Beacon St., organizes the cruise to raise money to help clients fulfill health, education, recreation and other needs. The nonprofit provides food and shelter, counseling in a residential program for men dealing with alcoholism or substance addiction.

“(The cruise) is primarily to help raise money to provide well-rounded services to the men,” Lozano said.

Beacon House residents have helped prepare for the event by cooking and gathering gifts from around the community and will help host the cruise that day. Many of the men, Lozano said, haven’t met with their mothers since their struggles with addiction.

“Not all of them are able to meet with their mothers,” he said. “But for those who are fortunate enough, it’s one of the most heartwarming things. For many mothers, it’s the first time they are able to do something with their sons in a clean, safe, sober situation, so it can be a very emotional event for everybody.”

Spirit Cruises provides Beacon House with its M.S. Spirit vessel for the celebration.

The Beacon House Mother’s Day Cruise will board at 5:30 p.m. (Passengers should assemble at the dockside by 5 p.m.) and will last for about two hours on Sunday, May 11. The menu that day will feature Italian fare and will include rigatoni con carne, pasta with chicken, Caesar salad and fruit.

The event costs $30 per person. For reservations, call (310) 514-4940.

More information about the cruise is available at www.beaconhouseassociation.com.