So i'm gonna take this in a different direction also. I am a part of Buckeyethon and i'm really happy with the message and the goals that this organization markets for itself. Because of being on Buckeyethon I have had multiple opportunities to work closely with the kids who have have been/are being treated by the Children's Hospital. It has been some of the most rewarding experiences of my life. We've put on halloween parties, movie nights, and various other events like that where we get to hang out with the kids and remind ourselves the motivation behind what we do. These kids are special in so many ways. Some of their stories are just unbelievable. And despite all they go through they always have a smile on their face.
I can't begin to explain the impact this has had on me. I am thankful every day for my friends, family, and my health. I am capable of taking part in so much without being hindered by anything. To hear some of the stories of what these kids have gone through and to see how happy they are in doing the simplest of things, it never gets old. It reminds me of how grateful I need to be for all the blessings in my life. And the best thing is, it motivates us all (Buckeyethon) to raise as much money as possible to help these kids even more. Some of the most rewarding experiences are seeing the people you're trying to help smile and laugh like they don't have a care in the world. That is the kind of affect Buckeyethon has had on me.
Spending time with these kids has really opened my eyes to what kind of services are out there. Community Service comes in all shapes and sizes and sometime it can affect one person (like Quintero's email buddy) or multiple people. In the end Service is about bettering the lives of others who are less fortunate, or less able to participate in the things that we are blessed to be able to do. This one organization has showed me how blessed I am and how important it is to give back to my community. Not only will I become a better person but I have the ability to CHANGE someone's life for the better. That, in itself, is motivation enough for me.
Buckeyethon is a fantastic service event, and I think it has a ton of potential to be even more successful. You're right that the beauty of service is that you have the ability to change someone's life for the better. With Buckeyethon you're guaranteed to have fun doing it.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see Buckeyethon marketed more effectively to the general student body here at OSU because It could easily become as big or bigger than Penn State's "Thon"
well actually we are on a faster pace than "thon" then they were in raising money. It took them longer to raise 100,000 dollars then ours has but I agree we do need to reach out to the general student body better
ReplyDeleteIt is things like Buckeyethon that really make it soooo easy for students to get involved in service and just plain helping other people. Last summer I rode in Pelotonia and it was an amazing experience. I wasn't face to face with any cancer patients while riding however as we were riding up huge hills there were families and kids on the sides cheering us on. Not only were they cheering but they held signs that said things like "My grandmother has cancer" or "the beast took my brother when I he was 22 years old." SImply reading those messages was enough to push me to ride harder and faster and it was really a life changing experience.
ReplyDeleteI would love to get involved with going to the hospital to talk with patients or kids or volunteer in any way that I can. I think that might be my lenten goal.
That's great to see that BuckeyeThon has has such an effect on your life. I'm big on people finding a few things they are really passionate about and making a big difference in those few things, rather than spreading themselves thin and doing everything with little effort put towards each. This can have a great impact on service, which is clearly the case for you. Good work bro
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