Spring Fling!

     Today I volunteered at Slate Hill Mennonite Church's annual Spring Fling. It's an event hosted for adults with special needs that includes an array of carnival games, live music, pizza, dancing, and for the first time this year, a bunch of service dogs for everybody to pet. When I first got there, it was pretty overwhelming and I didn't know exactly what I was supposed to be doing. The registration process was kind of loosey goosey and confusing. But after a bit, I just kinda threw caution to the wind and started snagging people as they came in to get their picture taken. There were hats and props and whatnot they could try on for the picture, and one guy even asked if I could be in the picture with him! After a bit, I was told to go downstairs and get my carnival station set up. I was assigned to the Bocce Ball game,  so as people came around I gave them four tries to get the ball to the 25 point line (or fling it down the hall, or smash it into the gutter area, or do any other variation of ball tossing) and then I'd give them a celebratory sticker. The thing I loved about Unified Sports and what I love about the special needs community in general is that there's no such thing as competition. Everybody cheers for each other, nobody gets upset if they lose as long as you tell them they did a great job, and it's all just about having fun. I wish the rest of the world could be more like that.
     After carnival games, I headed back upstairs and served some pizza. After pizza, it was time for Big Tent games, which were games that everybody could participate in at once, like balloon volleyball, limbo and sing-along-songs. Some of the participants had even brought along their guitars and got up on stage with the live band and air-played along. It was all just a hoot.
     The last part of the festivities was when all the volunteers got to announce the winners of the games. Since there was no real competition, the winners were based on things like enthusiasm, effort, and determination. I nominated a guy named Tien as Bocce Ball winner for his friendly attitude, because he read my name off my name tag and made sure to say please and thank you and he didn't butt in line. When I announced his name, he came up to the front and shook my hand! He was great.
     After all the winners were announced and prizes were distributed, it was time for all the guests to leave. Once they'd loaded up and went on their way, the volunteers stayed behind and helped clean up which took no time at all since there were so many of us. Then those of us from Messiah College got taken back to campus. I've been in the dorm working on homework ever since.
     Overall, it's been a great day. I haven't smiled or danced or laughed so much in a long time, and the Spring Fling was just four straight hours of fun and positivity (and I got to pet a dog which was great too). I will definitely be volunteering in years to come as well. It was a great experience. Now time for a not-so-great experience: Spanish homework. Ugh.

-VaughnDL