CN Christmas Party – 2006-2016
Up until his retirement, my father worked for CN Rail. Every holiday season, the company would host a children’s Christmas party for all of the employees, their children, and their grandchildren. The event included dancing, clown entertainment, music and sing-alongs, Santa arriving on a train with gifts for all the children, and lunch (my dad did the cooking!). Both my sister and I sat on Santa’s lap several times over the years to tell him what our wishes for Christmas were and received a gift; it was always a highlight of the holidays for me as a child. Once I grew up, I wanted to make sure the event continued for all of the new children. My dad and I volunteered each year until his retirement, and it truly was one of my favourite days each year. Seeing the smiles on children’s faces, seeing them dance and twirl around on the dance floor, and the excitement in them when Santa arrived – priceless.
Track and Field Assistant – Special Event Days 2011-2012
During the Lloyd George Elementary track and field event days, my friend and I loved to volunteer. On the day of the event, we’d help set up and run the different stations, ensure students knew where to go next, and provided snacks and refreshments as needed. It was always a lot of fun to see kids outside in the sunshine and being active.
BC Special Olympics – 2017
In 2017, Kamloops hosted the BC Special Olympics. The day was really exciting for the athletes, and I was so happy to be a part of the big team that helped set up and organize the event. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Kindergarten Classroom Assistant – May-June 2019
I was blessed to have the opportunity to volunteer in a kindergarten classroom for a couple of months. Although it was short, it was very sweet. I couldn’t have been welcomed by a more wonderful class. During my time in the class, I would help set up the room before children arrived in the morning, work with students as needed throughout the day, sort and organize student work, and clean up the classroom at the end of the day. I left class every day feeling so full of love, being able to be around such amazing little humans. On my last day it was their kindergarten graduation, and I got to watch them all receive their graduation certificate and gave them each a little something from myself; I cried three times that day. Best. Experience. Ever.