American Cancer Society Making Strides Steering Committee Meeting

Location: American Cancer Society Office

Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2014; 6:00-7:30 pm

I came to the ACS offices this evening to find that our group was much smaller than last month. Besides Carrie and Jesse, Ted was in attendance, and he was staring outside the conference room window at a building which appeared to be in the process of being brought down.  He pointed out that it was being “deconstructed one floor at a time”, a process where they started from the top and work their way down.  Must be a bit strange for people in adjacent buildings to see the height go down every day! 

My mind

We sat down and Ted started us off with an ice-breaker question, “If your mind was a store, what kind of store would it be?”  He said that his would be a ‘Costco’, because you can stumble upon anything that you would want.  Carrie said that hers would be ‘TJ Maxx’ because she is frugal whereas Jessie’s was a running store.  It was my turn and I said that mine would be a used book store because like old books that exist in dark corners of the store, waiting for someone;  I remember things since some memories are not meant to be forgotten.  Other examples were ‘Super Walgreens’ – where you can get everything, or a ‘Dollar Store’, where a lady said that she could please all of her nieces and nephews. 

We opened with an update on current statistics and were pleased to see that the number of teams that were registered was way up than at this time last year…in fact at this time last year the website wasn’t even up!  Next up was the “Mission Moment” and Carrie talked about the extreme dangers of Skin Cancer.  She provided some information on how to protect ourselves and said that it was also true for pets like dogs, especially their paws and noses.  For the “Advocacy Moment”, Le’Loni talked about e-cigarettes and how Illinois is passing a law to ban it in indoor public places.  It seems that the liquid in an e-cigarette comes in candy flavor, thus enticing the youngsters, but is deadly if swallowed.  Carrie then mentioned some of the upcoming events like the ‘Chicago Sky WNBA’ game which required volunteers for a “Strides” table, and a ‘White Sox’ game in August where we could buy a ticket and then the first 1800 people would get to participate in a parade on the field.  Plus, the proceeds would go to us.

Next, each committee member had to give an update and we first heard from the ‘Survivors’ group.  They had a sample teapot from ‘Starbucks’, which costs $2, and which they wanted to hand to survivors and caregivers.  Another idea was for pink umbrellas.  ‘Advocacy’ was going to have their tent shaped like a purse, with picture of ‘Uncle Sam’ with a purse and a pink ribbon.  They also talked about having elected officials show up and hosting a “scavenger hunt” game to encourage people to visit other tents.  ‘Promotions’ talked about reaching out to local communities and churches and posting flyers all over different neighborhoods.  The also wanted to engage companies for sponsorship and have local salons and businesses advertise in their windows.  We talked about promotions via social media and apparently the mandate from ACS is for “Strides” to not start a new ‘Twitter’ page. 

The ‘Entertainment’ group had secured the services of previous years ‘Zumba’ artist.  They were also looking to organize a “Flash Mob” and have a “memory garden” with flowers of different colors for survivors and caregivers - which had been my idea!  They talked about inviting a nutritionist to talk about a balanced diet.  The ‘Children’s Activity’ team wanted to do a “Kids Zone” and ‘Chicago Sky’ were going to come in and help out with that.  The idea was to have activities such as jump rope, potato sack race, tug-of-war etc.  Other than that, there was to be a “tattoos” station, and efforts were on to secure ‘Radio Disney’.  Jesse brought up my “virtual card” idea and I said that if we were going to have kids do it, then it need not be just for breast cancer survivors, but could be for other hospitalized kids.  I mean how cool would that be – kids making cards for other kids.  I even knew a partner they could go to!

Carrie then talked about the kick-off breakfast on August 4^th.  The goal was to send out 1600 invites, expecting approximately 430 guests, of which 350 would form teams.  That sounded quite aggressive and I said that we could improve our chances if we had laptops for instant sign-ups.  It’s always better to get people when they are excited, else the enthusiasm would drop over time. Plus, we could give them mementos like pins to show our appreciation for their initiative.

The meeting was over, but Carrie asked if people waited to stay back for “Sponsorship Workshop”.  A few of us waited and saw a quick tutorial on how to ask for sponsorship from businesses. We were to start by asking for, well... sponsorship. If they declined, then we were to request them to form a team, then donation of an object and then as a last option, ask if they could put up flyers in their establishment.  We went through couple of scenarios with different businesses.  She then asked us to get approval before approaching some companies, since there already may be some discussions in progress through ACS.  I asked if we were late since ‘Komen’ and ‘Avon’ have their events early in the year.  She said that she’s been working on bigger clients since last December!  She talked to us about making a personal connection rather than phone or email and the skill of asking open-ended questions – something that I had gone through with ‘Adler’ training.  We ended on this and I chatted for a while with Jesse before leaving.  We are getting a lot of traction and I look forward to working with this team.  If we can achieve even half of what’s being planned, it will be a great event in October. 

On Every Street - At 300

My very last post of 2013 was the 200^th one under this banner and now, 10 months later, we are at 300.  I have been lax in my posts and am currently running 5 months behind, currently writing about my experiences from May.  A lot has happened since Number 200 and a lot has happened since May.  It seems that nowadays people get almost all of their updates through social media and so for anyone who’s been wondering about my life since May; those details will be forthcoming soon!  One thing that I can report is me receiving the ‘President’s Volunteer Service Award’. 

My certificate

Now, before we go about throwing parades in my honor, let me point out that it is common for volunteers to be eligible for this.  You just have to apply for it.  ‘One Brick’ does that on behalf of its volunteers and with well over 150 hours with the organization last year, I was one of the few who were in the list that had been submitted.  Since the beginning of the year, the only projects that I had done with ‘One Brick’ had been gala events and I had my fill of those. This means that I have not done a project with them for a long time and there is no chance of me repeating for 2014.  However, when I heard that I was indeed a recipient of this award, I was delighted.  People usually say that true satisfaction is in doing the deed and if one’s aim is to win an award, then it defeats the purpose.  Yes, that’s true.  But I for one am always excited when it comes to awards; and not just for me.  I believe that an official recognition, especially for something like this, should be celebrated because it shows that people are raising their hand to serve our community.  When others see an award like this, they ask questions and eventually many get involved.  So yes, I am proud of this honor as I am of my nomination as ‘Volunteer of the year’ through ‘Chicago Cares’.  The latter was even more special since I had been nominated by my peers.

Over the last 100 posts we went through the holiday season, a time that I have always considered to be magical.  As with last year, the start was with ‘Macy’s Believe Campaign for Make A Wish’, my favorite project if there ever is one.  I had been waiting for the opportunity to once again collect ‘Letters to Santa’ from the ‘Macy’s Water Tower’ location.  As I followed my usual routine of going there on weekends to gather the letters, sort them, and then finally deliver to ‘Make A Wish’, I was struck by people’s generosity of spirit – and I don’t just mean the dollar that each letter raises for the organization.  I am convinced that the holidays reveal the best in everyone and messages on those letters are evidence that we all have the ability to be good.  All it takes is a willingness to reach out to help…or to ask for it, sometimes a more difficult thing to do. 

I had grown up watching parades, without ever in my wildest dreams expecting to be a part of one.  But an opportunity presented itself at the ‘McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade’, where I was one of the people who were the balloon carriers – ‘Madeline’ to be precise.  Yes, it was an extremely cold day and yes, I was miserable for most parts leading up to the actual walk in the parade.  However, as soon as I was on the path and amongst the hundreds of cheering spectators, a familiar feeling of pride came over me – not because I was doing it, but because I was part of this Thanksgiving Day tradition.  I had said in my post that if there was ever an occasion regarding which I could tell stories to my grandchildren, this was it.  I carried a balloon in Chicago’s Thanksgiving Day parade.  How cool is that!

Another holiday event that left its mark was the ‘Chicago Cares Goes Caroling’ project.  If walking in a parade was one of the things that I thought I would never do, singing in public was close second.  But Wilson got a group of us together and we visited two senior housing facilities and ‘Lakeview Nursing’, at each location entertaining the residents with 'Christmas Carols' – something that I never get tired of hearing during the month of December.  I would be spending Christmas with my friends, who are like family.  But for most of the residents, the holidays would be a lonely one…where the only companionship will be with each other.  So to come in and for a brief moment and brighten their day with these carols, was a humbling experience like none other; and definitely one of the highlights of my holiday season.

Since then there have been other projects, some regular, while some like my visit to the ‘Boston Marathon’, have been a fulfillment of a promise to myself.  No matter where my travels have led me, there has been one constant – the people that I have met.  Time and again I have come across individuals that have left a deep impression on me – an indelible mark that inspires me to be a better person.  There are days when it is a challenge.  But that inspiration is a constant reminder which is frequently reoccurring, and something that I am grateful for.  A recent loss in my life has reinforced the importance of not taking any person…any moment for granted.  And to live life to the fullest, for there are miracles to be found everywhere…on every street. 

Cook And Serve Brunch To Mom’s And Children At Homeless Shelter On Mother’s Day

Location: San Jose Obrero Mission

Date: Sunday, May 11, 2014; 10:00 am-12:45 pm

‘Mother’s Day 2013’ had been a “Super Sunday” with 3 projects and while I was not looking to duplicate that, I did want to do something.  Wilson mentioned that he was working on setting up a project which was specially tailored towards moms in a homeless shelter.  As soon as it appeared on the ‘Meetup’ calendar, I signed up within minutes.  I had been to a project at this shelter more than a year ago, but had not returned back owing to the distance that I would have to travel.  However, today it would not be a problem and so I took the long train ride and arrived just before 10 am.  After checking-in, I was directed to the kitchen and the dining area, where another volunteer was waiting.  But there was no sign of Wilson, which was strange since it was 10 am and he is usually the first to arrive.  We continued to wait and now it was 10:15, with still no sign of Wilson or any other volunteers.  I spent my time reading things posted on the wall, most of which were regarding health protocols for food storage.  Other notices were for activities during the month of May and there were many as relates to entertainment.  This is a shelter for women escaping domestic violence and to be eligible, she needs to either be pregnant or have a child.  Thus entertainment is extremely critical, since the last thing you want in this situation is a dour environment.  Wilson had borrowed my giant projection screen for “movie night” at shelters and senior homes and I wondered if it was going to make it to this place for one such evening.

It was a special day

Finally I got a call from Wilson who said that he was on his way with the supplies, but asked me to start chopping some Cantaloupe from the pantry.  Well, that would be a first for me and I while I got the said fruit into the kitchen, thankfully a new volunteer who had joined us, took over the chopping duties.  Wilson arrived and he needed help in getting stuff from his car.  I went outside and noticed that it was a different one.  He said something about it being a rental and an accident and a funny story.  Well, “funny” and “accident” usually do not go together, but at least he saw it that way.  Amongst the things that we carried inside, there was a ‘George Foreman Grill’ and Wilson said that we would be making burgers.  The other things on the menu were bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, green & fruit salad and pizza.  That was definitely a menu worthy of the occasion!  Wilson said that this was what had been requested and he was just trying to fulfil their wishes. 

I paired up with the volunteer who had been chopping the cantaloupe and our task was to make the fruit salad, which included Watermelons.  Before we commenced, Wilson mentioned that we should wash the outside since it could carry Salmonella.  He said that as you sliced through it, the knife could drag the germs through inside, those causing contamination.  This was something that I would never have thought about, but it made sense.  I have never liked watermelon.  Growing up, my parents used to always have it at home, but I always considered it nothing but flavored water that you have to chew.  And I use the term “flavored” generously.  A couple of years ago I did a week long program with a friend and first day’s diet was just melons. I had bought a tub of mixed melons, which unfortunately meant that there were watermelons involved. I managed to get through that day, but now I was going to have to cut it, a task I had never done before.  My fellow volunteer was trying to show me how to cube, but I was having my own struggles.  Then she pointed out some that I had cut and which were far from the perfect cubes that were desired.  I had a good mind to tell her that she was welcome to do it all by herself, though she was just trying to help and was not being mean in any way.  But I had a headache, which was growing by the minute and which made me grumpy as well.  But I still had a good conversation with her, especially when she told me about some of the best sandwich places in the city.  I may dislike watermelons, but I do enjoy a good sandwich. 

By now two other volunteers had arrived and they started on the burgers, which promptly set off the fire alarm.  Along with that they were also making pancakes and pizza.  While all of this multitasking was going on, I was still struggling with the blasted watermelon.  Another volunteer came in with her two young daughters, which I felt was appropriate, considering that it was ‘Mother’s Day’ after all.  The residents and their kids had started assembling in the dining area and Wilson sent the two girls to work with those kids on greeting cards.  I must say that of all of his inspired ideas, this one was fantastic and one of the rare times that I had seen kids volunteering with other children. 

The fruit salad

I was finally done with the watermelon and had moved on to Pears, Apples and Bananas – again, not my favorite food items.  I chopped the pears and as soon as I did that, my fellow volunteer pointed out that we should remove the skin.  At this stage my headache was getting worse and even though I wanted to argue, I knew that she was right.  If there is one thing that I dislike more that pears and apples, it is unpeeled pears and apples.  I started removing the skin of the chopped up pieces and after finishing that painful part, moved on to something that I actually liked – Strawberries.  We finished adding them, as well as Grapes, and were finally done with the fruit salad.  Around us the others were working frantically to get the brunch ready on time,  Wilson, in his hurry, dropped a pizza on the floor as he tried to move it from one oven to another, but at least we were trying to get the food out to our guests.

I took the trash out through the back and then came back to help carry the food out to the dining area, which was now quite full.  There were 4 types of juices and I went about asking the guests which one they wanted.  Of course, there were requests for all sorts and from all corners, meaning I was kept busy till all of the food was brought out.  Besides all of the food that we had made, many volunteers had brought desserts, and so there was a nice spread.  The cards which the kids had been making were on display and the entire place had the feel of a festive occasion; which was exactly what we had been aiming for.

We started serving the guests based on what they wanted and for the next few minutes I was bringing them either burgers, pizza or pancakes.  All this while my headache persisted and I told Wilson that while I should stay to help clean-up, I had to leave.  I left through the back exit but not before watching the residents having a nice meal and enjoying themselves.  I hope we had made the day special for them, though I felt that my contribution had been minimal.  But I had met some nice people, not the least my fellow volunteer who had told me about the finer points of chopping fruits.  While I hope to see her at other projects, I will be very happy to go through life without having to deal with another watermelon!

Adler Planetarium Interpretation Bootcamp

Location: Adler Planetarium

Date: Saturday, May 10, 2014; 10:00 am-4:00 pm

I had been through two interview sessions as well as one volunteer orientation.  However, there was one more session that I had to attend in order to be eligible as an ‘After Hours Education Host’ at ‘Adler’.  That training was termed as “Interpretation Bootcamp” and since it was deemed quite mandatory, I had to give up my ticket for ‘American Beer Festival’.  Yeah, an afternoon of science for an afternoon of beer – sounds like a fair swap! 

Our materials for the day

I arrived in the morning and walked confidently into the staff area, now that I knew where I was going and had the access code.  In the conference room were 6 other volunteers, besides ‘Adler’ staff members, Michael and Rebecca, who would be training us.  We started with all of us assembling outside the conference room and introducing ourselves.  As an ice breaker - and since it is ‘Mother’s Day’ tomorrow - Michael asked us about our favorite “Mother memory”.  I said I had 2, one which was not so nice.  One summer afternoon my mum had fallen asleep on the floor to stay cool.  Her long hair was spread and I thought it would be fun to drive a wind-up car through it.  Yeah.  I don’t think she ever had long hair after that.  The other memory was of my birthday growing up.  Every year, for my birthday lunch, she would get the silver utensils out and served my meal in those – silver glass, plate, spoon, bowl, the works!  I miss those birthdays and those campy utensils every year.

Everyone had a nice story and now that we were introduced, it was time to step it up with a game called “A strong wind blows”.  In this game chairs were spread out with one less than the number of participants.  The one person without a chair would state something starting with “A strong wind blows…” and all those to whom the statement applies would have to get up and find a vacant chair.  If left without a chair, it was your turn to speak.  It was a lot of fun and when my turn came, I said “A strong wind blows for anyone who has looked up at the sky, and confidently told someone that an object is a planet when it was really a star”.  Almost everyone stood up for that, including Michael! 

We came inside and then broke into separate groups to talk about our most meaningful museum experiences – any museum.  I was with 2 other volunteers and after discussing for a few minutes, we were to introduce someone else’s memory.  I discussed my visit to a children’s museum many years ago, a place I still dream about.  There was a room where a single story was being told through a series of display windows with puppets.  It was left to the visitors to piece it together via this “show, don’t tell” philosophy and I mentioned that this was perhaps how my love of stories was cultivated. I introduced another volunteers story, which was a visit to the ‘Field Museum’ in the 5^th grade, where he saw the Egyptian exhibit and learned about other cultures and their practices, such as “mummification”.  As I introduced it, I said that personally I found it interesting that something as macabre as death was what got him interested in learning about foreign cultures.  Everyone’s story had something personal and Michael wrote down all the key words on the board.  We discussed how we needed to create similar experiences for our guests.  Michael even gave an example of a bad experience which had everything that we should avoid.

We then discussed Adler’s mission, which is “Inspire exploration and understanding of our Universe”.  It is also printed on our name tags and we repeated the phrase again and again so as to let it sink in.  Next, another staff member came in to facilitate a joint group activity, making a “Balloon Rocket” demo.  All of us worked together to blow a balloon; tie a string to a chair, with the other end tied to top of a door where a photo of the moon was taped.  Our job was to get our “rocket” to the moon by using some of the materials provided, such as straws and tapes.  It took us a few attempts and modification of the variables, but we eventually got it there, using two balloons, a tight rope and less steep angle of inclination.  It was a great team building exercise, but the lesson was also to see how the staff member had made us figure this out by providing minimal hints.  That’s exactly how we would be required to do it with our guests.  We were told that interpretation can be explained in an adage, “Not looking for a sage on a stage, but a guide on the side”!

After looking at some charts on visitor demographics, it was time for another game that was termed “S-C-O-E”.  Michael put charts on the wall with each of the 4 letters and key words under each.  Using those words we had to guess what “S-C-O-E” stood for and we eventually guessed that it was “Social, Cognitive, Objects and Emotions”, key elements of our job at the museum.  Like all of the games before, this was another fun way for everyone to get involved.  Next up was a break for lunch, but we continued our scientific discussions on topics such as interstellar space travel, the one way ticket to Mars and Michael and Rebecca were debating why Venus has an atmosphere. 

After lunch we were paired again and I was with a volunteer, Rachel.  Each group was given a demographic to study, Ages 2-5; 5-10 and 10-88 years old.  We were then told to write down what we knew as key characteristics of our assigned age group, which was 5-10 for Rachel and me.  We wrote down things like “stubborn, excitable, socially, evolving, curious” etc.  We also said that 5-7 year old's would be clingier to parents whereas 7-10 would be more independent. We were then given a clipboard and asked to go upstairs and observe our target age group.  I was glad to have Rachel by my side because it would have been a lot creepier if I was tailing kids by myself!  We selected a family of 4 with 2 little girls, one who looked to be around 5-7 years old, and other was around 8-10 years old.  The behaved exactly as we had predicted, with the younger one being more curious, but following her parents, while the older one was wandering off by herself and exploring.  It was still a bit strange and I was glad to be done with this exercise.  The idea had been to observe our audience so as to engage with them accordingly.  We came back to exchange notes and see what the experts said about each of these age groups.  We had seen the younger girl dancing in the museum and I said that it would be great if we saw someone like that and asked, “How would you like to dance under the stars”, and then take them to the corridor with “origins of the universe” and which had projection of stars all around us.  Michael actually made a note of this idea. 

Next, we had a discussion on how to engage with audiences.  Michael talked about a “drive by”, where you mention something interesting to a guest and keep walking.  If they are interested, they will follow-up.  The idea is to make them comfortable and welcome.  He said that we do not need any fancy ice breaker besides “How’s your day going”.  We once again went outside the conference room to discuss posture, attitude and importance of a smile.  We then played an uncomfortable game where we were paired and had to alternate between two characters.  First one of us would speak and the other person would appear to be not interested, and then after a minute switch to a situation where the other person was interested.  Then we had to swap where the second person spoke and the first person showed disinterest followed by interest.  This was to prepare us for all eventualities. 

We came back inside to play another game “Yes-But” and “Yes-Yes”.  In the first case the other person is trying to end the conversation whereas in the second, we are building on conversation.  Michael and Rebecca did it first and then I paired with another volunteer and we played the game as two people trying to plan an evening on the town.  Next was a game where we were to be constantly interrupted by people trying to steer conversation away from the point and we had to carefully acknowledge them, but also bring the conversation back on track.  This would be a critical skill to have as we practiced for guests who may be disruptive as we tried to have a teaching moment with a bigger group.  Michael is a master at this and gave a demonstration using ‘Primanti’s Brothers’ sandwiches as an example – a topic which had come up when he had mentioned about his visit to Pittsburgh.  All of us then practiced this, being either the speaker or the person interrupting.

Who knew this could evoke so much thought!

We were then given a normal binder clip and asked to write down 15 questions regarding it.  I struggled to write 13 in the allocated time and then they asked us to read our first 3 questions. Almost everyone had questions like, “Who invented it” and “When was it invented” etc.  Then they asked us to read the last 3 questions and as expected, they were more interesting since people now had to think about them.  This was a brilliant game to demonstrate the point that while initially questions can be “close-ended” and get a one word response, later questions were more “open ended”, which should be our objective. 

For our final activity we were split in 2 groups and while the other group was given the balloon rocket, mine had UV light and some beads which display color under that light.  We had to come up with 3 provocative sentences, 3 questions and 3 call backs to something in the past.  This was another practice for when we would be on the floor.  My group came up with a few and even tested the beads under my sunglasses to check if that was indeed filtering the UV light…which thankfully it was.  We had questions and statements like, “Do you know why your parents insisted on sunscreen” or “Let’s check if your sunglasses work” and “Do you know how we can see distant stars despite all the dust in between”.  The other group also had some interesting points like, “Do you know that the moon is moving away from us”

We were done and Michael and Rebecca even staged a “graduation ceremony” for us, where Michael played music on computer while Rebecca gave us pin-up stars.  This had been the absolute best training session that I have ever been to and I said so in my feedback.  This was not just a set of slides on a computer, but practical demonstration of real-life situations.  My first shift for ‘Adler After Dark’ would be in less than a week.  Finally, after multiple interviews and trainings, I was ready to commence this phase of my volunteering career. And based on this training, it would be a lot of fun.

Wish Ball 2014 – Part 2

Location: Soldier Field

Date: Saturday, May 03, 2014; 4:30-11:00 pm

It was time once again for ‘Wish Ball’, though unlike last year, there was no requirement for a black suit.  The theme this year was sports related and so we had a more casual attire.  I took a bus to ‘Soldier Field’ with another volunteer Michelle.  We had met at this event last year and reconnected after learning that both of us were going to be ‘Wish Ambassador Escorts’ for this year’s event.  We arrived and after checking-in were directed to the volunteer wait area. After some time when nobody came to get us, we asked Julie and learned that we were waiting in the wrong place and they were in fact looking for us.  Well, not a very auspicious start, I thought and hoped that the rest of the evening would be smoother. 

The tent on the green

I was introduced to Lucas, whom I would be escorting this evening, and his mom and dad.  I chatted with them and in a few short minutes knew that we were going to get along very well.  His dad in particular was an extremely friendly person and the more we chatted, the more I liked this family.  I learned that Lucas has a younger brother and sister who were back home in the suburbs.  I asked him about his wish and he was excited as he told me about his visit with the ‘Cubs’ during spring training a few years ago.  Also, since their camp is in Arizona, they also got to go to the ‘Grand Canyon’.  He told me about how he wanted to become a ‘Film Director’ when he grows up.  I said that while that was an excellent ambition, he should really not try to grow up too fast.  I learned that he had a heart transplant at the age of 6 months…6 months!  The girl whose heart he now carried had passed away at a tender age of 2 years.  But this was not what got me.  Lucas is now 16.  But to this day, after all of these years, the girl’s family is still in touch with Lucas and in fact wanted to see his pictures from this evening.  And why not; for he still keeps the memory of their daughter alive.  I tell you what.  No matter how difficult things may get sometimes, days…moments like these are what make me count my blessings every time.  To hear stories like these, meet such people, is what makes every day special.

We went over to the ‘VIP Tent’ down on the playing field, where high profiled guests were enjoying appetizers and drinks.  But Lucas and I had a job to do – sell raffle tickets.  Even though I promised that we would end up as the “winners”, I told Lucas not to feel any pressure, and to have fun.  Having said that, I also told him to mention to the folks that the "winning ticket” was with him!  We started mingling with the crowd and my tactic was to approach someone, introduce them to Lucas, and then let him tell his story.  Through this, many bought tickets from us and everyone was at least intrigued by him.  Lucas’ dad - a huge sports enthusiast - saw a former ‘White Sox’ player and got excited.  Despite their ‘Cubs’ connection, they went and took pictures with him.  All of the other ‘Wish Ambassador’ kids were also doing the same and soon all of them were gathered to take a picture with the chief emcee for this evening, Seth Meyer.  In fact, he was fantastic and took multiple pictures with all 6 kids and their families. 

All of the kids were supposed to be in a short skit with the band and so we went upstairs for a short meeting, where each of them was told their duties.  I had a chance to look at all of the kids and they ranged from a precocious little boy who had a heart conditions since he had been 2 months, to a girl – now 20 – whose wish had been to meet the ‘Blackhawks’ executives and work in their office.  Now that was a smart wish for someone who will soon be entering the corporate world!  We had some time before the commencement of the program and so I accompanied Lucas and his family to the visitor’s locker room.  We met some people over there and even managed to sell more tickets.  Once again, Lucas’ dad was like a kid in a candy store and took plenty of pictures next to lockers carrying jersey’s and other memorabilia.  Later, as we came upstairs, he saw some ex-basketball players and took pictures with them.  He was brilliant and I liked him a lot by the minute. 

The cocktail reception was on the upper level and we went outside on the terrace to enjoy the beautiful weather.  It was now time for dinner and Lucas’ performance, so I came down and handed him over to the MAW staff member, who would be responsible for his logistics from now until the end of the evening.  I was done and before leaving them, I exchanged contact information with Lucas’ dad.  Everyone had settled down for dining - the room magically transformed from what we had seen earlier in the week - and I found a spot to watch the bands performance, including Lucas on percussion.  I still had the proceeds from the raffle sale and went to deposit them.  While we were nowhere close to the top grosser, we had raised $260, which wasn’t too bad.  I had dinner with the other volunteers and while I could leave anytime I wanted, there was still one more thing that I wanted to see.

Another memorable year

From last year, I knew that one of the most memorable sequences of the evening is a story told by a ‘Wish Family’.  This year, it was the mother of a devilishly handsome 7 year old blonde boy, who was one of the 6 ‘Wish Ambassadors.  As I stood listening to one of the most heartfelt speeches in recent memory, it was brought home to me how much of an ordeal it really is for these families.  The ‘Wish Mom’ spoke about how it had all begun with a diagnosis when he was 2 years old, to all of their early struggles, to often painful treatment, to a young toddler pleading with her not to give him any more of the bitter medicine, to his heroic victory over cancer, to the visit with the ‘Blackhawks’ team who made him an honorary team member.  There was not a single dry eye in the house and it is stories like these which rejuvenate me and make me work harder to be a better person.

I stuck around to watch Seth Meyer do his piece and while I could have gone for the after party in the tent, it was time to leave.  I have done my share of projects – maybe other people’s share of projects as well – but ‘Wish Ball’ is special.  It puts a face to what MAW is all about and you meet someone like Lucas…and his family.  Tonight’s theme had been sports and as expected, all of the kids had a wish related to one of Chicago’s sports teams.  I have always rooted for every team from Boston or New England region.  But seeing how these multi-millionaire sportsmen treat these kids shows that while you may support a particular piece of laundry to triumph on the field, off it they are all winners.

Senior Breakfast Club

Location: Mary Hartwell Catherwood Apartments

Date: Saturday, May 3, 2014; 9:00 am-12:00 pm

Sandy's famous banana bread

Most of my visits for this program have been during winter and the walk from the train station has always been a perilous proposition.  So it was pleasant to be able to do so when the streets were clean and sidewalks visible.  I arrived to find the regulars doing the same things that I had been accustomed to seeing.  As usual, Sandy had brought something with her and this time it was her famous banana bread.  As I had done previously, I set about the task of cutting the banana bread into 8 pieces.  I had learned the technique of cutting in halves and implemented that to prepare portions for distribution to the residents.  I chatted with one of the new volunteers and learned that she worked in a Sushi restaurant. I mentioned that a sushi chef’s caliber is usually measured by the uniformity of the width of each cut piece of the roll. Looking at what I had done with the banana bread, there was no risk of me being employed as a sushi chef any time soon!

Sandy was sporting a new, shorter haircut and she said that she had cut her hair to support ‘St. Baldrick’s Foundation’, which funds pediatric cancer research.  She said that her friend’s son was raising money and she had promised him that she would shave her head if he met his goal.  He had accomplished that, and she had happily obliged.  To those of us who know her, it was not a surprise that she should do so.  I went around with the new volunteer to serve the banana bread to the residents.  One lady asked if there were nuts in there and was happy when we reported that there weren't any.  As we went around for seconds, one gentleman started rubbing his tummy and said no.  I nodded as he continued laughing at his own joke.  It wasn’t just him; everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

Another of the volunteers that I had not seen before had taken this cooking project way too seriously and had brought his own knives.  He had also brought some pastry from a place called ‘Dinkles’, which is apparently quite famous.  We had apple pie and a cream coffee cake.  As I went around distributing it, only a few requested specific items, the rest just happy to have so many treats.  One gentleman was visiting from the adjacent building and said that he should move to this one if such was going to be the service.  The breakfast was now ready and for once, instead of being a runner, I was going to be serving - scrambled eggs at that.  This also meant that the serving size was a bit more subjective, unlike others who could give out 2 pieces of sausages or 1 biscuit.

With our fast moving line, everyone was served fast and soon we were ready to start the clean-up.  Once again as a first, I would not be washing the dishes, but rather be helping out at Bingo.  I took a seat with a group of ladies and we began.  Right from the beginning, our table was hot and we were continuously winning. So much so that one of the women at our table had to start giving her prizes away.  There were calls for her to buy a lottery ticket, though I said that it was all because of me!  She was a bit of a chatterbox and despite winning a lot; she was complaining that her Bingo card was getting stuck very often.  When I went and got her a new one, she didn't like the color.  Oh, well who was I to argue with a winner!  She did say that she should play the lottery and always referred to her birthday when that number came up.  I said that perhaps she should use her birthday number to play and she agreed.  But she truly was a character and even took to yelling out a number when it was called, not just when she had Bingo.

Everyone at my table had won except one lady, but she was still in great spirits.  All the prizes had soon been distributed including the “coverall” cash prize, donated by a volunteer.  We wrapped up and I chatted with Sandy before leaving.  She said that she would add us to the list for the next session.  It’s amazing that we meet just once a month – in my case longer than that – but we feel like we know each other so well.  And the residents treat Sandy like family. For us the volunteers, it’s almost an identical feeling.  

Read–With-Me Junior At HGS

Location: House Of The Good Shepherd

Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2014; 6:20-7:30 pm

I wasn’t planning to volunteer tonight, but my colleague Kelley was going to HGS.  She said that she was doing the ‘Junior’ version of the program, which is for younger kids.  Despite my several visits to HGS, I had never done that project and I looked and saw that there was an opening.  Plus Wilson was the leader and so I signed up.  Kelley told me that the kids were a handful and I was in for a challenging evening.  I thought she may be exaggerating, but Wilson confirmed that in a text. Ok then, this would be an interesting session.  Wilson picked me up and our first stop was at a ‘Dollar Store’ to get some balloons and Popsicle sticks.  He wanted to make paddles using plates and sticks and use them to paddle balloons.  We looked all over the store, but couldn’t find the right sticks.  So we settled on some cardboard that we could use as paddles. We reached HGS well in advance and as we waited for the volunteers, the kids started arriving and making a ruckus. 

A river always runs through it

Wilson asked if I would like to start decorating my paddle.  While he drew a bunny, I did my usual scene with mountains, meadows and a river.  I have been doing this since time immemorial, ever since I saw this on a blanket label as a toddler.  Every winter as the blankets came out; I would spend a lot of time staring at the label – which was a scene at night – and imagine what it would be like to live there.  In college, one night as I studied for a paper, I started drawing that scene on ‘MS Paint’ and it came out very well.  In fact, for a few years after that, it became a file I would open and look at many a time.  I don’t know what happened to that computer or the blanket, but my love for landscapes can be traced back to that blanket.  Last year I made a Christmas card for a friend and incorporated the exact same image on it…with a Santa of course. 

The volunteers arrived and while the younger kids seemed to have enough volunteers, the older kids program was struggling.  I told that leader, Melvin, that I could switch if he needed me. A little girl had come in and asked if I was with younger or older kids.  I asked where would she want me, and she replied “older”, so that I could play with her.  However, Melvin said he was fine and so I went down to the room where the junior kids met, my first time over there.  The screaming continue downstairs and the first task was to get the kids to make their nametags, which they did using crayons.  During that process, one kid decided that it would be more fun to draw on my shirt sleeve instead.  Rather than expend my energy trying to prevent him from doing that, I decided I would have more success trying to wash it off instead and so I let him proceed.  After he had drawn a few lines, I asked Wilson where I could go to wash it off, and the nearest bathroom was upstairs, near the older kid’s room.  As I went there, I ran into my friend Megan, who was volunteering with that group.  I had met her more than a year ago at the ‘Library Maintenance’ project and now we were in the same French class.  It is indeed a small world.

Our first book

I came back to my room and saw a little girl who did not have a partner.  I asked if she wanted to read and she nodded.  We went to pick the books and I was impressed that she wasn’t just selecting the top ones, but actually chose a few.  The first one was called ‘Thomas and Friends: A Close Shave’.  She knew the characters and while I was trying to get us to read, she just flipped through it.  Next we “read” something by ‘Dr. Seuss’, then ‘Mickey Mouse’ and then some others with colors and shapes.  She liked flipping through the pages, but she did want me to be paying attention.  Every now and then I would ask her names of colors and shapes and also ask her to locate them on the pages, which she did.  We finished this bunch of books and then went and selected another pile.  We went through the same routine, with her flipping fast and pausing every now and then to check if I was paying attention. 

It was now time for the activity and so we set off to decorate her two paddles.  She used all of the crayon colors that we available to us and was making either triangle shapes or the letter ‘H’, which was for her brother.  I taped the sticks to the paddles and made a couple of them for us to play with.  For our balloon, she chose a pink one and I helped her blow it up.  She then decided to make up her own activity, which was blowing the balloon in the air and then trying to catch it with the two paddles.  Initially she was happy to play by herself, but then let me push the balloon in the air while she tried to catch it with her paddles. 

All the boys had chosen blue balloons and for the next 20 minutes there was a lot of noise, lot of running about and a lot of balloons in the air.  Wilson said that this was exactly the kind of activity these kids needed.  Then it was time for them to go and one kid came and hugged everyone.  One of the older girls came down to see what was going on and I gave her one of the balloons, which is liked a lot.  As the kids left, I went upstairs to chat with Megan and she introduced me to the kid she was with.  He saw the paddle that I had made earlier – the one with the landscape – and liked it.  I asked if he wanted it and when he nodded, gave it to him, happy to have an appreciative fan.  The girl who had asked me to join the older kids was there and I said that next time I will definitely join her. 

It was their time to leave and the boy with whom I had worked the last couple of times asked me to put on his shoes, which I did.  After the kids left, I chatted with Melvin and he looked exhausted from handling all of these kids.  Wilson was telling him ideas like isolating the kids in two groups so that “troublemakers” can be kept apart.  Melvin said that he wants to take the kids outside when the weather gets better.  I said bye to Megan and left with Wilson.  It had been wonderful to come and its good thing that I had asked Kelley.  While I had enjoyed my time with my girl, it is definitely better to work with the older kids.  I am sure I will be back soon.

Wish Ball 2014 - Part 1: The Walkthrough

Location: Soldier Field

Date: Monday, April 28, 2014; 6:00-7:00 pm

I cannot believe that a year has gone by.  I really can’t.  It seems like yesterday that I was at the ‘Wish Ball’ for 2013.  Last year I had mentioned to Julie, the volunteer leader that I would do anything it takes to be appointed a ‘Wish Ambassador Escort’.  These are the lucky few who get to accompany a ‘Wish Child’ throughout the early part of the program.  I had told her that I would remind her every day of the year, till I got the job; but of course I was exaggerating.  So imagine my surprise when I got an email saying that I had been selected as one of the 6 who would get to accompany the kids.  I got an email regarding the child that I would be escorting, and his name was Lucas.  He was 16 years old and his wish had been to visit the ‘Cubs’.  Our job during the ball would be to walk around and sell raffle tickets. I told Julie that we would outsell all others!  Yes, this was going to be extra special.

We were at 'Soldier Field'

As with last year, they wanted us to attend one of the 3 walkthrough’s of the site – ‘Soldier Field’ – prior to the event and I had selected this evening.  I arrived at ‘Soldier Field’ on a gloomy evening with rain in the air.  The theme for this year was sports or “Where wishes play”.  That’s why we were at this venue and all of the 6 kids who had been invited had sports related wishes.  I was let in through a gate and went inside to see that many volunteers had already assembled, including a few that I recognized from last year.  There were also several MAW staff members, including Julie, and I thanked her for selecting me to accompany Lucas.

I signed-in and as we waited, I chatted with some of the other volunteers and we agreed that with this venue, it was going to be an exciting evening.  The meeting was called to order and we received a handout which summarized the ‘Wish Ball’ evening’s activities, including VIP reception, which I would get to attend since that’s a major hot spot to sell the raffle tickets; silent auction, dinner and finally the after party.  Seth Meyer was going to be the guest emcee and MAW was hoping to raise a lot of money during the evening.

Next we went on a walking tour of the facility, starting at level ‘C1’, where registration was going to be.  Julie went over the various duties for people stationed on this floor.  She has been running this event for a long time and really knows how to command attention and delegate duties in a clear and concise manner.  We then walked up to the playing field and saw the the 50-yd line where the tent's going to be.  It’s funny that the only other time I have been on the field was for the ‘Autism Walk’ the day of last year’s ‘Wish Ball’.  We then went to level 'C3' where the ‘Silent Auction’ was going to be held and saw the historic outer section of ‘Soldier Field’.  People forget that this is not just a football stadium, but there is a whole building that surrounds the playing area. 

The dining area which would eventually be transformed

We came back to Level 'C1' and saw the dining area, which looked barren, but I had no doubt that it would be transformed magically on the day of the event.  Because this is a stadium and not a grand ballroom, the areas are longer, but narrower and I am very interested in seeing how it looks when all done.   The walkthrough was over and I thanked Julie before leaving.  I said that I had been promoted from my position as a coat check person last year, though there was no requirement for a suit at this year’s event. She was nonchalant about it, saying that she likes to rotate people; but I’m sure she assigned me because I had lobbied.  In any case, it is a huge honor.  Only 6 volunteers of the 130 have been chosen to accompany the ‘Wish Kids’.  I am one lucky person.