Finish And Post-Event Party: The CitySolve Urban Race

Location: Mickeys Bar & Patio

Date: Saturday, August 03, 2013; 12:00-4:30 pm

When I saw this on the One Brick calendar, my first thought was to participate in the race itself.  I have seen Scavenger/Treasure Hunt shows on TV and many many moons ago had participated in one myself - and it had been fantastic.  I remember one of the clues was something related to Sherlock Holmes address and there was a ‘Sherlock’ pub nearby.  As me and my partner traversed the street up and down, we were totally immersed in the experience.  Years later I wanted to do it again, but was unable to find a companion as much as I tried.  So here I was, signing up to volunteer instead and the only question was whether I wanted to do the first or the second shift, or even both!  The first one was when the contestants set off and the second was to welcome them back.  I thought that I would sleep in a bit and so showed up on location at noon. 

I arrived to see that the morning crew was almost done and were now enjoying themselves.  Well, everyone but Wilson, who was the manager for morning shift, but was now directing volunteer traffic; and Rich, who was continuing for 2^nd shift.  The organizers called us all to attention and said that as a first task they needed 3 volunteers to staff a check point, which was at least a mile away.  Once those folks had departed they required 2 outside to check-in the returning teams and clock them, two to do Facebook raffle and surveys and two to verify the clues.  I had no idea what “verifying the clues” meant, but it sounded more interesting than anything else, so I hopped aboard that.  Matt was going to be joining me on this task and so we were directed to a booth at the end of the room and Jason, the organizer came over to give us instructions. 

We were given the same clue sheet that the contestants had, along with the answers.  There were 9 clues which they had to solve in order to discover the locations that they had to visit; and as a proof, they had to take a picture of themselves over there.  Plus, they could skip one of the locations, while 3 were mandatory and some had tasks which they would have to perform.  Also, there were two other bonus questions that they had to attempt for which they would get a time credit.  Matt and I had to look at their smart phone or camera pictures and verify that they had complied.  If they missed anything, then there would be a time penalty to what they had checked-in with.  The first clue pointed towards a yogurt truck in Wrigleville and was mandatory.  Next was the pub ‘Halsted Harp’ followed by another mandatory one at a comic shop on Belmont.  Now, this was where the One Brick volunteers were staffed, and they were to assist the teams in selling One Brick glasses to passer’s by.  If they were unable to sell, they could either buy them from us or risk taking a penalty.  Seemed like a nice way to raise money for One Brick.  The other clues pointed towards ‘Treasure Island’, ‘Red Orchid’ theater, ‘Camelot’ store and ‘Halsted Florist’, which was the final mandatory stop and had a task for them. 

This would be interesting

One of more interesting tasks was for the participants to get three ‘Cubs’ fans to pose making the ‘SOX’ sign.  Now, having been here for 2 years, I know the kind of rivalry the two teams have, not so much on the field as off it.  This continues with the fans, who both claim certain sections of the city as their own and we were certainly located on the ‘Cubs’ side of the city.  So to get those fans to pose making ‘Sox’ letters would be a monumental achievement and if I was doing the race, I may have seriously considered skipping on this one.  The final clue was a Bullseye ring with 4 rings and the participants could choose one of the rings and complete the tasks on it.  For example, the outermost ring had them taking their pictures with a ‘Red Hybrid’, ‘Chopsticks’, ‘Sunflower’ and ‘American Flag’ whereas the innermost ring had a single task, that was to take a picture with a dog in a bag.  Once again, I couldn't even imagine how they were going to find someone carrying a little dog when in a pinch.  The two bonus questions had contestants taking pictures with some words like “Fun” or “Volunteer” or “Friends” or “Sun” etc.  The teams could be of 2, 3 or 4 and they could do solve the clues in any order that they pleased, as long as they took public transport or were on foot - no cabs or bicycles.  The only caveat was that all the team members needed to be in the pictures. 

We were ready to begin and soon a team of two guys came in and they looked like they had been working hard at the race.  We checked their pictures and with no penalty points, they were by far the leaders.  Then came a team of two girls, followed by a family of three.  The dad said that he, along with the daughter had finished third last year, whereas he and his wife had been first the previous year.  This time they had decided to participate together and unofficially were in 3^rd place.  Soon there was a flurry of activity and Matt and I were busy checking the pictures and marking compliance.  Many competitors had not managed to sell the glasses and while some purchased them, many were returned back to us.  We were to ask them what the task was; else they had to forfeit their point, though everyone knew what the glasses were for.  In terms of penalties, missing a mandatory clue was 60 minutes, whereas missing a typical clue was 30 minute penalty.  On the other hand, solving the bonus clue deducted 10 minutes from the time.  Surprisingly, almost everyone had managed to solve the clues and there were very few penalties.  Plus people had managed to come up with some creative ways of complying with the pictures, especially with the bonus questions.  Also, many had managed to find someone with a dog in a bag and more surprisingly had convinced many ‘Cubs’ fans to pose as ‘Sox’ – including three girls dressed in ‘Cardinals’ shirts, which according to me would have been a double whammy.  Imagine having someone dressed in the uniform of your hated rival asking you to pose as your other rival! For accomplishing that these ladies deserved double points.

There were many in costumes, including one covered in bug swatters – named SWAT – toga, wigs, Mardi Gras etc.  Most had checked in by 3pm and Jason announced the winners, who were in the order that we had checked them in.  There were also prizes for best costume, won by SWAT, and best tweet.  Soon thereafter people dispersed and we were left to clean.  During that, we had a scary moment when one of the contestants fainted and we had to call 911 – where is Wilson when you need him.  Thankfully she was just dehydrated, having also run a half marathon in the morning.  Wilson did arrive and we all retired to the patio to relax and chat.  Jason joined us to discuss the race and he was off to Denver next, just one of the 23 stops for the race!  He said that the turnout this year was lower than expected, with only 50 teams that were participating – Lollapalooza having something to do with it.  However there had been some serious competitors, one team even getting instructions from their friends via Bluetooth.  So while the friends were remotely searching the internet for answers to the clues, these guys spent all their time just running from one destination to another.  Well competitive or not, it definitely felt like all of them had loads of fun and so had we.  Maybe next year I will participate…and get Wilson to help out on the Bluetooth!

Game Night At Wesley Place

Location: Wesley Place

Date: Thursday, August 01, 2013; 7:00-8:00 pm

I had been away and so it seemed like I had not volunteered with Chicago Cares in ages.  I had enjoyed ‘Game Night’ projects at Pomeroy and so had no hesitation in signing up for this one.  It was a relatively new program and hence Chicago Cares had been unable to find a regular leader for it. Thus upon arrival, I found Amy from Chicago Cares there along with 3 other volunteers.  The first thing that impressed me was the facility itself. I looked quite classy and I mentioned that to Amy.  She said that unlike Pomeroy, the residents over here were more elderly and needed help during the game.  More than anything, they wanted the company.  Well, that’s what we were here for.

We went upstairs and I saw several residents assembled around some tables in the activity room, which itself was quite bright and welcoming.  Amy asked us to select games from a box and I took ‘Uno’ cards, which was the only game that I knew how to play.  I went over to a lady who said that she couldn't play because she wasn’t strong enough.  Typically I would not have been averse to staying with her to chat for the duration of the evening, but she seemed distracted and it would have been difficult to engage her.  So I took my deck of cards and went over to another table, this one having 4 ladies, and asked if they wanted to play with me.  One of them refused for the same reason as the earlier one, but two others said yes and the third said she wanted to learn.  I was in business!

Uno again

The lady who wanted to learn was named Fran and as I taught her how to play, she turned out to be a good student.  I asked where she was from and she said Detroit, though has been here for a long time and likes it.  Soon we were ready to go and I dealt for 4 people.  But it was apparent that one of the ladies next to me required help in even holding up the cards, and so I requested one of the other volunteers to come over and help her out.  Back at Pomeroy when I had played ‘Uno’, it had been a full-fledged competitive game with folks enforcing the rules diligently.  Over here it was quite the opposite.  In fact, we could see each other’s cards and it was more about getting the residents involved.  The lady who was being helped by the other volunteer was called Maggie and she was quite jovial.  She said that while she understood the colors on the cards, she needed some help with the numbers.  I asked what her favorite color was and she said “Green”.  I said that it was mine as well, though I like all colors.  She then said she also liked Red, it being her favorite winter color, with Green being her summer color.  Now, I had never heard of anyone specifying favorite colors by seasons, though it made some sense to me.  I asked about Spring and she said “Yellow”, leaving Blue for Fall I guess!

Besides Fran and Maggie, the third lady who was playing was Georgia and of everyone, she was the one into the game and concentrating hard.  I was coming close to winning and was thinking that I may soon have to start cheating so as not to, but fortunately Fran won.  She was ecstatic, especially since she had just learnt the game, and was now totally interested.  The following round Georgia won, leaving Maggie as the only non-winner at the table.  I looked at the bracelets Maggie was wearing and told her that those were nice.  She said that she had won them in Bingo and that she was quite an accomplished player.  Now, Bingo is not a game of skill, but one thing I have learned after spending time with seniors is that being an accomplished player means being more attentive than others.  Considering her competition in this room, it would not have been too difficult, though I hope they have volunteers who help out.  Maggie told me that every Thursday a van comes to pick them up and take everyone to downtown.  It is a nice way for all of them to get out of the nursing home and see the outdoors.  I asked if she liked seeing the lake and she replied that it was the buildings that she enjoyed more.  I liked Maggie and made it my mission to help her out.  Through some careful manipulation of my cards and colors, I was able to get her a win and she loved that.  Now, everyone on the table could have the bragging rights! 

Over on the next table a cards game was in progress and one of the volunteers said that if this was poker, she would have a “Full House”.  I said if they were playing poker, all of us – Fran, Maggie and Georgia – would be at the next table.  We were enjoying ourselves, but now there was time for just one additional game, which Maggie won again.  I said that it had been a brilliant comeback and was time for us to leave.  It had been an hour, which I felt was a short time, but it meant a lot to them.  Fran, Maggie and Georgia thanked us and Maggie added, “Thank you for spending an evening with us”.  With those words ringing in my ears I left with tears in my eyes.  There’s nothing more to for me to say…really. 

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Make-A-Wish Open House

Location: Make-A-Wish Offices

Date: Wednesday, July 24, 2013; 6:00-7:00 pm

I had been a weekly visitor to MAW offices during last year’s ‘Believe’ campaign.  Then, when I came for my ‘Wish Granter’ training, I found that they had moved across the hallway to a slightly bigger office.  At that time they were still renovating and so many rooms had been blocked off.  But now they were ready to unveil for all to see and hence had sent out invitations for an Open House. I decided to attend and invited my friend Augusta, whom I had met during the ‘Avon Walk’ in June and while we had stayed in touch, had not been able to meet since.  We arrived at the offices to find that the party was well and truly on with people walking about with drinks in their hands.  I saw Jeanne at the front desk and she immediately told everyone that I had been one of the most committed volunteers for the ‘Believe’ campaign, even going as far as calling me “Superstar Santa”.  Well, looks like the prodigal son had returned! 

When you wish upon a star

We got a map of the space, not that it was a treasure hunt, and started in a room which had several pictures on the wall.  Closer inspection revealed that these were photographs of the ‘Wish Ball’ and while I could see some from the skit that I was a part of, there wasn’t one of my almost award winning performance as ‘Security Guard #1’.  I did however recognize photos of the kids who had been the ‘Wish Ambassadors’, having chatted with one during the party.  We moved on to other rooms and all over the offices there were pictures and posters of kids and their wishes, a conscious effort on the part of designers to make this office space a celebration of what MAW does.  One of the posters was of a 3-year old girl and it said, “I wish to go to the beach”.  Now, on surface it appears to be a straightforward wish…I mean it’s going to the beach.  But the picture showed a bunch of ‘Sesame Street’ characters behind her and a carnival type ambiance, meaning that the ‘Wish Granters’ had gone above and beyond in designing the experience.  Remember, it’s our responsibility to enhance the simplest of wish into a memorable and unique occasion.

We were walking about the room looking at the posters, when an announcement was made that the program was about to commence.  It started with a speech by the CEO of MAW-Illinois, thanking the people who had ‘donated’ many of the rooms in the new office space.  As she went through the list, I learned that the rooms had been donated in "memory" or "honor" of someone, most likely a former ‘Wish Child’.  There were a lot of parents and ‘Wish Children’ present and many were recognized by the speaker.  Besides private donors, there were organizations such as ‘Best Buy’ who had also contributed.  After the speeches, there was going to be an unveiling of plaques around the office space, which would have names of the folks who had donated that particular room or section. 

Wish poster

After the speeches were done, I chatted with Dan, who has helped coordinate some of the events I have participated in and we talked about the ‘Wish Ball’ and how I was angling to get the ‘Wish Ambassador’ role for next year.  There was another poster with a wish, “I wish to have a service dog”.  I found that a very unique wish and something about it was poignant.  Of all the things the child could have wished for, he had chosen to ask for a service dog.  I mentioned that to one of the staff members and she agreed.  In the meanwhile, the next phase of activities was about to commence, which was a singing performance by a young man, who was introduced as a former ‘Wish Child’, and who was now in college.  Looking at his boyishly charming face, I was totally unprepared for what followed - an excellent rendition of a song from ‘The West Side Story’ and ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon.  He also did another song dedicated to MAW and received thunderous applause after he was done.  I went and congratulated him and wished him luck for the future. 

The party was almost done and as we headed out I once again met Jeanne, who introduced me to Dana, who will be running the ‘Believe’ program this year.  I told Dana that I was looking forward to the opportunity to participate.  She asked me which store I would like to do and this was an interesting question.  The store on State Street would certainly be more convenient, being located right near my office.  However I have a special fondness for the Water Tower Place, due to all the memories from last year and I told her likewise.  At the door we collected a cookie as well as a ‘Wish Token’, which was good for one wish.  It had been a good visit and seeing the families during the ceremony was a nice reminder of what it is all about.  The ‘Wish Token’ is now mounted on my office wall.  Someday I will use it for my wish… but it’s not time yet. 

Bingo Fun At Britton Budd

Location: Britton/Budd Apartments

Date: Monday, July 22, 2013; 6:15 -7:30 pm

It had been a few months, but I finally returned back to one of my favorite Bingo locations.  I came over to find that I was the only volunteer there.  Elvina, with whom I had played in the past, waved me over to come join her.  I sat down and complemented her on a lovely pink embroidered bag that she was holding on to.  I enjoy my time with Elvina due to her quick wit and today was no exception.  When I mentioned that it was a nice day outside, her response was that at her age every day was a nice day!  Our volunteers were still missing, so it gave an opportunity to chat some more and I learned that Elvina has a Pomeranian dog named Magic.  He is 5 years old and she has had him for 3 years, having rescued him from anti-cruelty society.  Elvina told me that she had actually gone to get another, smaller dog, but had come back with Magic.  She said that Magic had been meek when younger, but now was quite mischievous.  As a pup he loved getting under the couch, but now that he is bigger, he has to make himself “as flat as a rug” to get under there – not that it prevents him from trying.  She said that her daughter was going to try and raise the couch so that it becomes more comfortable for him to slide under!  Elvina said that despite her advancing age, she took care of Magic, including walking him.  Only because she has been sick, her daughter has been helping out with Magic, but Elvina would return to walking him now that she was getting stronger.  She went on to say that her family has always had dogs and while she often doesn't remember people, she still remembers a dog she had while growing up.  She was a Collie-Irish Setter named Queenie, who was as high maintenance as her name suggested.  Apparently she enjoyed baths and did not like being petted after one; she even bit Elvina once when she went over to her after a bath.  Elvina mentioned that her daughter has cats, one of whom once climbed on the ledge of a 9^th floor in a high-rise, causing quite a ruckus.  I said that I liked both, cats and dogs, and she responded that all living things are nice! 

The new Bingo cards

As can be deduced from our long conversation, we were running late for our Bingo.  Finally - after I thought that the project had been cancelled for the evening - a volunteer arrived and from the looks of things, she was a regular.  Soon thereafter our Volunteer leader Greg came with the prizes and hastily set up the table.  Elvina took her own sweet time selecting the Bingo cards, wanting to ensure that all of her favorite and lucky numbers made it on the board – such as No. 8.  We were joined at our table by two other residents Jackie and Meredith, as well as the other volunteer, whose name was Tracy.  Jackie was quite spunky and had a dry sense of humor.  She kept complaining that every time she had remembered to come down for Bingo, she had lost.  I said that today may be different since luck was on our side.  Meredith was wearing a ‘Looney Toons’ cap and when I pointed it out, she said that her other cap had Mickey on it.  Looks like a lady after my own heart!

In the meanwhile, the game was progressing and I won.  I pushed the card towards Elvina and asked her to call out; following which she went and picked out hand soap.  Elvina was doing well by herself and was close, just missing the number 42 – which I pointed out to her was the meaning of life!  But she was not to be denied and won on her board, at which she picked up an appointment book.  She told me it would help her keep track of her Doctor’s appointments, though I did point out that we were more than halfway through 2013.  Meredith was not having any luck and complained that Greg, who was calling the numbers, was not turning the wheel effectively.  Hence the same numbers kept coming up and the same people won.  There is of course a flaw to this logic, but before I could point that out, she yelled out aloud.  We all thought that she had a Bingo, but realized that she was being sarcastic since one of her numbers had finally been called.  I told her that I liked her style and was with her if she wanted to start celebrating individual numbers!  But Meredith and I did agree on one thing, while the new Bingo boards looked stylish, they were a bit difficult to see when the number windows were closed, especially since she has cataract in her eyes.  She had no problem in seeing when she finally got Bingo and after shouting triumphantly; she went over and picked out a crosswords puzzle book.

Poor Jackie wasn’t having any luck, but that did not deter her from making sharp and witty comments.  First she announced that no one would be allowed to leave unless she wins at least one round.  I asked if she wanted to change her Bingo cards – like some of the other residents were doing – and she said that she had faith.  I said that she should at least flip the two cards that she had and exchange their positions so as to change her luck.  She said that she wasn’t superstitious and that she would stick with what she had through thick and thin – mostly thin, she added.  The lady was on a roll and I was having a great time.  But her optimism finally paid off and she won, picking a toothbrush from the table.  Finally, we were down to one last prize, which was toothpaste and I told Jackie that it would make a nice companion to her toothbrush, at which she instantly replied, “That’s what dentist’s samples are for.” Brilliant! 

The game was over and as usual people had been extremely nice, not just to us, but each other as well.  Meredith had come down with something that looked like bottom of a French Press and she said that she usually needs one glass of caffeine to make it through Bingo.  Talk about sharp people!  Elvina thanked us for coming, though it was really my pleasure.  It always is over here.  I mean, there are places where residents have to reluctantly give away their prizes to others in case they win more than once.  Over here, they happily give away the prize from their first win.

*All the client's names have been changed in order to respect their privacy

Make-A-Wish: Comer Children's Hospital Oncology Summer Picnic

Location: University of Chicago

Date: Sunday, July 21, 2013; 11:15 am-3:15 pm

“I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability.  My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.” – The Hippocratic Oath

One of the most fulfilling experiences of my volunteering career had been being able to attend the Thanksgiving Party at UIC Medical Center last year, representing the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  A similar opportunity was being presented with this summer picnic for ‘Comer Children’s Hospital Oncology’ summer picnic, being held at University Of Chicago’s campus.  I had wasted little time in signing-up and received an email from Mary-Kate, our MAW coordinator, who said that this was going to be a beach themed party and we would be doing three related Arts & Crafts projects with the kids.  As with the other party, we were told that since some of the children have reduced immunity, we were not to come if we were sick.  I was feeling as good as I could, and so took the Green Line CTA to the very end of the line and walked over to the address given to us. 

Our Welcome sign

As I entered the building, the guard told me to follow the beach balls and I would eventually find where I was headed. What he was referring to were beach ball stickers that were on the floor and leading me down a long hallway.  I followed them till I reached a central courtyard which had a big tent which had lots of party decorations.  The door leading to the courtyard had a sign welcoming MAW and other organizations that were going to be a part of the festivities this afternoon, including the volunteer’s names - talk about attention to detail!  Amy, the hospital organizer checked me in, signing the usual confidentiality agreement, and said that Oscar the magician was already here.  A magician…well, now it was a party for sure. 

The courtyard was nestled between the hospital buildings and was a quiet and serene place...other than the blustering wind.  Beyond the giant tent, where the tables had been arranged for the families, there was an open area amongst the trees, where various stations had been set for activities.  MAW had one such activity booth and I saw that a gentleman was already there.  I thought he was one of my fellow volunteers, but soon learned that he was in fact Oscar the magician – quite unlike what I had expected.  Our first task was putting on the table cloth and then wrapping a MAW sign around a nearby tree, which all made difficult by the wind.  We were soon joined by our fellow MAW team, Mary-Kate, Lena - who are both interns with MAW - and Bridget, who was also a 'Wish Granter'.

The 3 projects

We were going to be making 3 fish related props, including a tie-dye jelly fish with coffee filters, a fish using clips as its jaws, and a fish on a paper plate, which could be decorated and trimmed.  We decided to make some samples, so as to advertise what we were doing and I started on the tie-dye jelly fish.  It was quite simple, with us decorating two coffee filters, spraying with water to allow the colors to spread, stapling them together after stuffing a colored tissue paper between and then attaching colored streamers to resemble the long tentacles of a jelly fish.  I had just finished one when the kids started arriving and one of our earlier visitors was a spunky little girl who loved to chat.  She entertained us with her enthusiasm and general comments and said that she wanted to make a clip-fish for her brother, who was undergoing treatment at the hospital.  She pointed out her brother and I immediately adored her for her feistiness as well as her obvious love for him.  Other kids were coming as well, most of them wanting to make the jelly fish, since it definitely looked the coolest.  Across from us was the tattoo and body art booth and having done something similar less than 24 hours ago, I knew how popular it would be.  All the kids made a beeline towards them and they then came to us with their faces and arms painted and eager to show-off.  Two brothers came together, one with his entire arm painted in tiger stripes and the other with a Spider-man face.  The MAW volunteers at my table were brilliant with the kids and everyone seemed to be having fun. 

Our table was busy

Oscar had been working the crowd, walking over to various tables inside the tent and entertaining them with his tricks.  He came over during a particular stretch of down time and enthralled us with some slight-of-hand tricks with rings, coins and notes.  I love magic and cannot get enough of it.  There was a time when I used to attend a magic show on first Wednesday of every month and during one such visit, I was interviewed for a student film where they asked me about the show.  I had said that I never want to know how the trick was done, because I still wanted to keep within me that sense of wonder and amazement.  So while my fellow volunteers wanted Oscar to let them in on the secret, I could care less, and I thought he was fantastic. 

And so was the rest of the party

Besides Oscar, the other most popular guy was the DJ, who was rocking the house.  He started by leading a ‘Freeze Dance’ competition in which all kids participated with a gusto. We all were enjoying watching it, especially as it got close towards the end between the spunky girl who had visited us earlier, and a little boy who ended up winning.  If she was disappointed, she did not show it and was now a part of a ‘Shuffle Dance’ thing, once again led by the DJ who had every child following his every move.  The kids were having a blast, meaning their parents and guardians were too.  The DJ then announced that it was time for ‘Sock The Doc’ competition and was looking for one particular gentleman who apparently was the head doctor of this children’s hospital.  I had no idea what this activity meant and I saw a middle-aged gentleman run around in a mock way and try to hide behind a tree.  He then joined the group to great applause and I went over to see what the big deal was.  The idea was for him to don swimming glasses and put his head through a cardboard cutout while the kids lined up on the other side with a wet sponge, trying to hurl it and hit him in the face.  Judging by the line, it seemed like every kid wanted to have a go at him and cheered on by the parents, other doctors, nurses and the DJ, they had their moment. Some of the younger ones were missing the target - leading to a friendly taunt from the doc - but some of the others got him squarely in the mug. This went on for several rounds, with the kids taking several shots and the doc's face was soaked at the end. If we thought this was the end, we had other thing coming. He was replaced by the next doctor, followed by another one and the next. In fact every single doctor and nurse had signed up to participate and no matter how long it took, they each took their licks.

"Sock The Doc"

Fortunately for me, hospital visits have not been a major part of my life and I have not had many interactions with doctors. So I do not know what kind of dynamic usually exists between doctors and their patients. But nothing that I had seen or heard compared to what I saw this afternoon. In one of the most selfless acts that I have had the privilege to witness, all of the staff threw themselves into this activity and in doing so made the entire group of kids immensely happy. Plus, it did not stop there. I saw several families come in with sick children. And I saw them hug the doctors and nurses. And I saw tears and words of comfort being exchanged. On a unusually windy summers afternoon, nothing else could have been as heartwarming as seeing this bond between these people, and also between the different families who must have grown used to seeing each other during the frequent ER and other treatment visits.

We had been told during our training that patience with the 'Wish Families' was going to have to be our biggest virtue, since these families were going through a lot. I saw a lady break down in arms of another while their kids made jelly fish at our table. I cannot even begin to imagine what they must be dealing with. But the doctors and nurses know. And to them these are not just numbers or problems to be solved. Each doctor has taken the Hippocratic Oath and I saw them abide by the excerpt I have at the beginning. And the families know that about this staff. They truly are their heroes, for as one other sentence in the oath says - while science and medicine are important, nothing should outweigh their warmth, sympathy and understanding for the patients. We are often told doctors - even us as 'Wish Granters' - should not get too deeply attached, as it can lead to heartbreak and sadness. But how can you not get involved when these kids are concerned. As we wrapped up and left for the day, I knew how important our visit here had been. For a short time this one afternoon, the four of us, and the other groups, and Oscar, and the DJ and more importantly, the hospital staff, had brought smiles to the faces of these children and their families...something that no amount of money can buy.

MAW is about believing with all your heart that your one true wish can come true. One of the great movies of our time is 'The Field Of Dreams', about a similar belief that sets into motion miraculous events that one shouldn't even begin to explain. Burt Lancaster plays Dr. Archibald Graham, who sacrificed a promising baseball career to become a doctor - someone who goes on to serve a grateful community for years. Towards the end Kevin Costner's Ray Kinsella says to him regarding his missed opportunity to be a big league player,

"Fifty years ago, for five minutes you came within...y-you came this close. It would kill some men to get so close to their dream and not touch it. God, they'd consider it a tragedy"

Burt Lancaster looks at him with a twinkle in his eye and smiles before responding,

"Son, if I'd gotten to be a doctor for five minutes...now that would have been a tragedy." 

Sheffield Garden Walk – Gates And Tickets

Location: Sheffield Garden Walk

Date: Saturday, July 20, 2013; 2:30-5:00 pm

I took the train to Fullerton and had something to eat before proceeding to this street festival.  It certainly was the season for street festivals and One Brick was participating in many of them.  The proceeds from the festival were going to provide funds for local schools, local charities, park renovations and other community projects.  One Brick would be helping out via ticket sales and the beer booth – same duties as last week’s burger festival.  I arrived to find our group was already assembled and some had in fact left for their stations.  I went to collect my t-shirt and wrist band from an extremely laid back volunteer who was as relaxed as I have seen anyone.  After collecting my stuff I came over and chatted with Kinga, who was the EM and LaShaone, who was the EC, as well as Anvi, whom I have seen at several projects.  Since most of the other stations were already staffed, the organizers asked if we would mind helping out in the kids section.  Apparently one block had been allocated for kid’s activities which included various games, a tiny Ferris wheel, petting zoo and also a tattoo station, which required our help.   From selling tickets to working with kids – why would I mind!  Thank you relaxed t-shirt lady for delaying me.

Tattoos!

We arrived at our station, which was in middle of all the festivities that were going on.  Next to us were a photo station and a group of girls who were speech therapists and promoting their institution.  Before the earlier duo of volunteers left, they gave Anvi and me a crash course on applying a tattoo.  First you peel off one side of the tattoo, apply it to the person and dab with a moist cloth.  Then you peel of the sticker and that should transfer the image on to the hand, face or wherever the tattoo is being applied.  We had a variety of designs on 4 strips of tattoos – two each that would appeal to boys and girls.  The entire festival operated on tickets in exchange for stuff; and we were to ask for two tickets per tattoo or it was free for anyone possessing a wristband.  It seemed like a fun way to spend an afternoon and Anvi and I took each end of our table and were ready to welcome our guests.

My pirate design

The kids started coming over for tattoos and I was asking the parents for tickets.  Many were unaware that this wasn’t complimentary and so had go get tickets.  I told Anvi that I did not like this since the child’s eyes usually lit up when the saw the tattoos and asking for tickets felt like an anti-climax.  Yes, I know the festival was to raise money for the community, but I’m sure they were making a lot of it through beer and food sales that they did not need to charge for something as trivial as a sticker tattoo – trivial to the organizers, not to the kids.  I was having fun helping the kids select and my hunch on which ones the boys would prefer as opposed to girls was proving to be spot on.  I had applied a tattoo of a pirate and an anchor on myself, and was trying to get boys to select a similar one; while the girls were going for something colorful or with glitter.  Everyone was getting tattoos, including Kinga and LaShaone who had stopped by.

Rubber Ducky's!

There was some down time and I chatted with the girls from the speech therapy booth.  They said that they coach everyone from birth to age 21.  I thought I had mis-heard them say birth, but apparently it was accurate, many kids need speech therapy right from infancy.  To entice people to come to their booth, they had soap bubble bottles and I asked if I could have one.  I mean, who doesn't like soap bubbles.  I have very vague recollections from a long time ago when I visited city fairs with my parents and they got me soap bubble bottles.  There are some memories which you hope time never erases and small things like these are priceless. The photo station guy on our other side was trying every trick in the book to get kids to laugh, including barking!  In fact, he was so good, that I thought there was an actual dog nearby when I heard a bark and saw that he was trying to get a perfect picture!  I went for a short walk and stopped by a station which had yellow rubber ducky’s going round and round the booth.  Next to it there was a jar of Swedish fish and a prize for whomever guessed the right number.  I am very poor at such activities and often am off by a big number.  I put my guess in nevertheless, not even knowing what the prize was for winning. 

Time was going by fast with the tattooing and one girl kept coming back with more tickets to get additional tattoos on her arms.  Many parents were happy to pay and always asked the kids to thank us before leaving.  At one point I told Anvi that I wouldn't even bother charging more tickets for additional tattoos, rules be damned.  A group of three little girls came over and it was apparent that they were best friends.  Only one of them – who looked like the leader – had a wristband and she refused to get a tattoo, even though in was included, if her friends had to pay.  Before I could tell them that I would let them have it for no charge, she had stormed off with her friends in tow! 

It was almost 5 pm and the children’s section was about to close.  LaShaone came to get us and we found the rest of One Brick crew enjoying their hard earned beer. We caught up about upcoming events and some other general stuff and while I left, they were going to stay back to enjoy the evening party.  I had a terrific time at the tattoo station working with the kids.  The trio of girls, who had left in a huff when they realized the tattoos weren't free, had returned later. This time I insisted that they get tattoos, at which all three got identical ones on the same spot on their arms.  When people talk about what real friendship means, show me a group like this and I will show you a bond for life.  

Lakeview Pantry West

Location: Lakeview Pantry West

Date: Saturday, July 20, 2013; 10:00 am-1:30 pm

It was going to be a two project day and I was running late to get to Lakeview Pantry on time.  When I did arrive, I found that besides Drew, we had Carrie and Hannah as volunteers and also Jason - whom I had met at Brunson, Sara - who leads the program over there, and Lisa - with whom I have done several projects.  I had stood in for Drew the previous month, though this was the first time that we were meeting.  Carrie was there as well and proudly showing the pictures of her beautiful daughter.  I caught up with Sara, since I have not been to her project in quite some time, and we discussed her field trip at the end of the last school year.  The food delivery wasn’t in yet, so the first task was to sort some of the produce that was already there.  This included Strawberries and boy, was that a lot of fun!

Strawberry fields forever!

As much as I love strawberries, I do a terrible job of picking the good ones at the produce aisle.  Some of the strawberries in these boxes were looking a bit iffy, but I did not know if that meant they needed to be thrown away.  My philosophy on food has always been not to waste, but I also evaluate if it’s something that I would eat myself.  If it isn't good enough for me, then it should not be for anyone else.  Lisa joined me for this activity and there were a lot of boxes that we threw away and some that we kept.  The mold on a few of the strawberries made our decision easier, but there were others on which we debated a bit.  After some disgusting discoveries, we were moving rapidly through the boxes and with more strawberries in the garbage bag, I decided to start taking out the trash.  I was joined by another Lakeview Pantry volunteer and we managed to throw away the garbage and since we were already doing this, we were assigned to load Lakeview Pantry’s van with empty crates.  It was extremely hot as we transported the crates and unbearably so inside the van, as I realized when I climbed in the back to adjust the crates. 

In the meanwhile, food had been delivered from various places like Plum, Trader Joe’s and an anonymous source and it needed to be sorted and weighed.  Carrie asked if I could help with the weighing and taking down the readings, and so for the next few minutes it was me putting all of the food bags on the scale and separating by the donation source as well as type – Produce, Bread, Dairy and Meat!  By the time I was done, we had weighed over 500 lbs. of food.  Please process that number for a bit.  If not for the donations, almost 500 lbs. of food would have gone waste!  Now, it was going to feed a lot of families and no amount of praise is enough for these donors.

The pantry shelves

The guests had started assembling outside and it was time to start distributing.  Carrie handed out assignments and said that she was appointing me junior leader for the day – deputizing me, I joked.  She said that while the volunteers were distributing out in the front, she required someone at the back with Jason, to sort cans and store them in the pantry.  This was going to be a long arduous task and Carrie warned us about it being so.  So for the next couple of hours, while others distributed food, Jason and I worked our way through boxes upon boxes of cans.  Jason would look at the expiry dates and then either keep or discard.  Being cans, we kept a lot of them, and it was my task to shelve them in the right place. This proved to be an unusually challenging task since the pantry was full and I had to make space, so that the cans could go in the right sections.  The most common cans were for tomato sauce and since there were plenty of those, I soon had to start creating new piles for them.  The main caveat was that per standards, the food had to be at least 6 inches from the floor and so I was using upside down crates as stands and putting boxes on top of them.  It was a little easier for veggie cans, but even then this was a lot of food – which in the grand scheme of things is excellent. 

Jason and I made a very good team and got along very well.  Carrie checked on us occasionally and thanked us for doing this “unglamorous” task, though we both assured her that we did not mind, since someone had to do it and why not us.  The food distribution was over and Lisa came to check on me.  She asked if I had ever stacked grocery shelves before and I said after today I was glad I didn't.  I was exhausted as I took the train for my next project, but glad that we really did get through sorting many of the cans - a process that would have taken Carrie a lot of time by herself.  Plus in doing so, I gained further appreciation for the work that she and her team do over there.