Written by Secretary, Glenn Costales
Last August 25, Monday, was a time for rest for a lot of people as the country commemorated National Heroes Day. For some though, it was an opportunity to share their time, talents and treasures as they joined U! Happy Events for a day with the kids of Tahan-Tahanan in East Avenue Medical Center. Tahan-Tahanan provides shelter for kids battling cancer as they seek treatment within the hospital as well as in other medical institutions in Metro Manila.
The day was made possible through the kind-heartedness of Ate Haydee Capule, who chose to celebrate her birthday with the Tahan-Tahanan kids. Together with her friends and a number of volunteers, Ate Haydee was welcomed by the kids who were eager to spend the holiday with their new Ates and Kuyas.
After being organized into groups, the volunteers and kids first introduced themselves so they could really get comfortable with each other’s company. A few minutes later, some volunteers and kids were plunged into a surprise dance number to the delight of everyone.
The groups then played a U-original game called Blow Me Up. In this game, everyone was given a balloon which they had to blow up into different sizes, and at the same time completing the number of balloons being asked for. The first group to finish correctly got the point. Both volunteer and kid got into the competition taking in huge gasps of air and blowing them into the balloon to try and win the point. A team ultimately turned out to be a ‘breath of fresh air’ as they emerged the overall winner.
After the game, Kuya RC, a balloon entertainer, led a balloon-twisting workshop. Though complicated at first, everyone soon got a hang of the instructions as they twirled, weaved and wound their balloons into a dog, a flower, a sword and a bird. The different shapes were vibrantly brought to life even more with the assortment of colors everyone was working with.
With lunch time lingering, the volunteers and kids made their way to the dining hall for a delicious lunch with a ‘cowabunga’ twist. The food was imaginatively presented with a Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtle-theme. Indeed, it was a first time for a ninja turtle to grace a U-event.
The group then joined their cheerful voices as they sang Happy Birthday to Ate Haydee, with a cake blowing to boot.
And before seeing them off, the volunteers got a big hug from the kids as they also handed their heartfelt messages (thru the Profile Exchange).
U! Happy Events again expresses its thanks to Ate Haydee, her friends and the volunteers for taking part in this holiday event. The group is likewise grateful for the privilege of organizing this celebration of Ate Haydee’s special day.
From Sponsor, Ate Haydee –
“I wanted to have a fun and meaningful celebration of my 30th birthday so I decided to rekindle my youth and hold a party with kids. A good friend of mine introduced me to U! Happy Events and I gave it a try to customize an event for Aug 25, the exact day of my birthday (which luckily is a National Holiday). From drafting the details, closing the deal and facilitating the actual event, U! Happy Team has been very helpful, accommodating and easy to deal with. Their website says a lot about their advocacy and I was even more convinced with their dedication when I saw them in action. In such a short time, they created this special bond between the kids and the volunteers (balloon twisting workshop, story-telling and fun games). We left Tahan Tahanan with light hearts, high spirits and the desire to come back with more of our friends.”
Our birthdays are normally spent with us receiving love from other people. But it becomes even more meaningful when we are able to extend that love and show it to someone else, especially children. You can spend your birthday with U! Happy Events by creating your own event. Visit the Create Your Own Event page of this site for more details. We hope to see U soon!
