Last December was a special time for me to have an outreach program with my co-workers. It was special because the entire company pitched to help out their adopted Gawad Kalinga Village in Bulacan. Usually I would just enjoy helping by being one of the volunteers that would distribute the goodie baskets, but this one was special because we created a Christmas party exclusively for them and I was one of the host that faithful morning.
I love hosting events, but it was my first time to lend my voice to a Christmas party outreach event. Usually I would host dance parties, mini-concerts, and the like, this one was beyond my experience - this one needed a more genuine and real approach. I hosted events with thousands of people, but this event, with merely less than a hundred, gave me a bigger sense of excitement. I have hosted corporate and sosyal events where the crowd would be like zombies, but this one was magical - I could see their eyes brighten when they I asked "handa na ba kayo?" to start the party. The environment was not like any hotel or some clean field, the soil that I stood on was even damp and the smelly estero was just a meter away, but I could see they were excited to celebrate and have a moment where we can all gather and enjoy. It was a crowd hungry for fun, it was a celebration where everyone was ready to open their hearts and enjoy.
We played the bring me game where everyone was invited to participate, the winners were given small prizes. The competition was tighter than an NBA Finals, every person was focused to win. From asking the picture of their favorite celebrity to bringing a dancing mother and singing father, everyone was game to enjoy. Every time a person would win, the entire crowd would pop and cheer.
Photo caption: A random girl shows her dance moves while I host a Gawad Kalinga outreach event in Bulacan last December. I think I made her dance before she got her prize during a bring me game, and she was ready to show her moves!
The moment finally came where the kids prepared a dance number. They prepared not one, but two dance numbers - we did not expect that they would have a dance number. You can see the kids fresh from shower with powder all over them, I was sure that their parents dressed them at their best for the celebration. I was able to watch them practice before the party, and they were focused. The kids from 5 to 12 years old, formed a group of 13 enthusiastic dancers. One of the dance was of course Gangnam Style where the crowd danced with the kids. It was really magical as you can see everyone surrendered their hearts and opened themselves to us.
As a host, to make the crowd participate and to capture the listeners would always be a challenge, but this time the crowd empowered the host. The hunger for them to enjoy refueled my passion and opened my eyes to the reality that the moment might not come again. They knew that for the next 12 months that they would not celebrate like this, they knew that and they gave their all for the celebration. The villagers helped decorating the tent and gathering the crowd, when the goodies where distributed it was very organized and peaceful. When we ate, they were all smiles hoping that the celebration would not end - I too hoped that we could have prolonged that moment.
As a volunteer, I realized the gift of giving memories to other people. This was not all about the goodie baskets that I know are all gone by now, but it was the memory that we shared. I am sure that they would not forget that day were we gathered and had loads of fun and laughter. Nothing beats the feeling of helping and making other people smile.
That day, I thought that they did more good than I did. I thought that they were the one that out-reached me with their enthusiasm. Let us go, and be ready to help because we may never know that our moment with them may be the best moment of their lives, and also our own.
Author: Randy Vitales, 2013
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