Written by Vice President for Internal, Ate Charmain Tan
It was a fun afternoon as we celebrated the first birthday of the adorable Daniella. Mommy Tin and Daddy Dexter not only invited their friends and family to celebrate with them but also the children of Gawad Kalinga Laura. We have visited their GK Laura home numerous of times and have done a lot of events with Teacher Irma and the children. Today the kids will get to share in the festive birthday party of Baby Danny at the Rosewood Pointe in Acacia Estates, Taguig. The venue was beautifully decorated with purple and pink balloons as well as a two-tiered cake for Baby Danny. There was also a candy desert bar where kids could enjoy endless supply of cupcakes, chocolates, and lollipops. There was face painting booth by our artist Kuya Eric. The kids had fun as they had their faces painted with flowers, superhero symbols, and others.
We invited the kids in front to participate in the first game of the day, Fish Be With You. Two teams of 10 kids each formed a line and were given straws. Sea creatures in colorful papers were placed in the chair in front of each teams. The members had to “sip” the papers using the straw and bring them to the second chair in front. The challenge was to make sure the paper stayed stuck to the straw. Each kid took turns within the given amount of time. The team that was able to transfer the most number of sea creatures won that game.
The second game we played was Let It Go. Each kid was given a balloon. They had to blow the balloon and let it go. The balloons would land at a certain spot and the person had to do the round again starting from that spot. The person had to blow and let the balloon go over and over until he reached the finish line. The team that got the most number of team members to the other end in the shortest time won that game.
After the two exciting games it was time for everyone to enjoy the hearty buffet lunch prepared by Mommy Tin and Daddy Dexter. There were lots of dishes including fish, pork, macaroni, buttered vegetables, and fruit platter. After lunch we got to watch the spectacular magic show of Kuya Rico. He started with the all time favorite trick, the doves. They flew out from everywhere and the kids laughed and shouted as they tried catching the doves. Kuya Rico also did his card trick where his playing cards kept getting smaller and smaller until we could barely see it. He also put out wads of cash while the children laughed. He then called on a kid volunteer Gwyneth to assist him in his tricks. He gave her a wand but as she held it the wand kept breaking. As it broke all the kids kept laughing. Gwyneth tried holding the wand three times but the wand would break every time. It is always one of the popular tricks among the children.
After the magic show we sang a Happy Birthday song for Baby Danny. The family also gave out gifts to the children of GK Laura. They also gave boxes of food products to be shared to everyone in the community. Mommy Tin shared a message for the children. She reminded them to always be thankful for all the blessings they receive and not to forget to share it with others. She also said she and her husband have been happy and blessed since they got married, and now that they have Baby Danny, the more they feel happy and blessed. It is because of this happiness that they wanted to give back the blessings they have been receiving. Sharing with these children today was their way of being thankful for everything. Teacher Irma of GK Laura in turn gave a thank you gift to the family for inviting them in this wonderful celebration.
