Gahr Carnival Service
AZ, Gahr, D13N
This particular Gahr Key Club service event was unlike no other! Taking place on Saturday, July 30, at La Palma Parkway, Anaheim, Carnival for kids held an amazing event that brought in over 1000 attendees! Everyone who attended and participated to make this event great did an amazing job and worked very diligently. Since this event was mainly focused on creating a fun experience for families that are homeless or have trouble with financial responsibilities, it was extremely nice to see such a big group of people come together and create a free and fun experience for these kids and families. Although the sign-ups, from key club, for this event were very few, most of the people who signed up came and put in over 6 hours of community service each. The illumination corporation was responsible for coordinating this event and did an amazing job getting countless amounts of volunteers from different places to put in their time. This event was all in all a very great experience and provided everyone with great memories. Especially with the petting zoo that was open to everyone.
Balboa Race
NR, Mt. Caramel, D37S
During the Balboa 8-Miler race, Mt. Carmel key club was responsible for one of the water stations, where we had to set up tables and water cups, hand the water and drinks to runners, and clean up the roads. Volunteering at the water station helped runners because without hard-working volunteers, their experience in the race wouldn't have been as enjoyable. Not only was it a pleasure to see the gratitude of runners as they grabbed a cup of water, but this was also an amazing opportunity to bond with other members of the club. Being an underclassmen representative, and new to my position, I made sure to get as many of my friends involved, and everyone had a great time. One of the main things I took away from this service event was organization. When we first got there, we had to organize the tables and cups as time-efficient as possible, and it wouldn't have worked out if we didn't have a plan in mind. Even in the midst of chaos, where water was running low, and runners were coming quickly, we had to use our time wisely and fill up as many cups as we could. It was definitely a learning experience for all of us, but we all had fun watching the joy of runners!
School Supply Kits
LP, High Tech High International, D21
On August 6th, a few Key Club members and I participated in a three hour volunteering event at the San Diego Convention Center held by Supply Bank. During this time, we assembled school supply kits for kids in need. We packed tote bags with essentials, such as notebooks, whiteboards, pencils, and construction paper packs. We were set up in rows where each person had their own station and we would pass the tote bags down the row to make sure every pack had all the available materials inside. Our system was very well organized, in a big open space and we were able to pack thousands of kits for those who didn’t have access to the supplies they needed. Overall, I would say that this was a very cool and interesting experience, and it felt great to help out!
Chino Concerts
Sv, Montclair High School, D15W
With the summer coming to a close, so have this year's Chino Concerts! Belugas from various schools came together to truly make these concerts great; their dedication has definitely shined with the amount of participation! We were beyond happy to have been able to meet Circle K, but even more fortunate to have assisted Chino’s Kiwanis. With busy lines, long hours, and some small, granule mistakes, the Kiwanis really helped turn all the concerts into a huge success! Not only did these concerts bring together Key Clubbers for service, but also fun. Personally, I enjoyed listening to the music and the overall atmosphere of the event. LTG (Yahir Perez) enjoyed the unconditional support and kindness from the Kiwanis, along with meeting Circle K and snacking on some of the food. It’s sad to see the last Chino Concert go, but with this year’s summer coming to a close, we can now look forward to a busy school year that will only bring us more prosperity.
Hacienda Heights Parade
Ja, Kt, Diamond Bar High School, D35E
On July 4th, a parade was held in Hacienda Heights to celebrate Independence Day. Both Key Club divisions were able to collaborate with the Hacienda Heights Kiwanis to make this parade possible. In preparation of the parade, members helped decorate cars that were showcased afterwards. Most of them were classic cars that are rare to come across today. Some even got the chance to walk alongside other organizations during the parade itself, which was a new experience for many. These groups ranged from church communities to scout troops. As members of the audience, my fellow publicist/tech editor, Katelyn Thai, and I were able to gain a better insight on the different organizations. She said, “It was amazing to see the preparations being made for this parade alongside getting to participate in it. We were able to use our creative freedom to add 4th of July decorations onto someone's car, which was the very first to be shown! It was very enjoyable and I would definitely go again.” Also, we had the honor of discovering the heroic deeds that the fire department and many others had performed. Not only that, but we watched mesmerizing performances that were carried out by them. We really appreciate the amount of time and effort that went into this parade, and we continue to look forward to them in the near future.
