Written by Core Team Leader, Edelma Sy
While the whole country commemorated its 117th year of freedom last Friday – the prize of our countless heroes – we also witnessed heroism at work as we hosted a bowling event sponsored by Ate Jill Maria Medina in celebration of her 25th birthday, which she and her family chose to spend with 25 kids from Precious Heritage Children’s Home.
It was an afternoon of fun and amusement that began as soon as the kids arrived at E-Lanes Bowling Center in Greenhills. They lined up to get their rented shoes and proceeded to the cafeteria for a meal to fuel them up for the next activities. It was a particularly tender time to watch Mommy Lalaine’s motherly instincts kick in as she served the kids their meals and encouraged them to eat more. 🙂 Kuya Harvard also used the time to introduce our celebrator to the kids.
When the kids were done eating, they were then divided into eight groups and were assigned a volunteer or a core team to play with them. The first three teams were led by Ate Jill, Ate Jezra, and Kuya Jervin respectively. After the grouping, our very own Kuya Romward briefed us on the basics of the game. He showed us the proper way to hold the ball and the proper stance in throwing a shot. This was the kids’ first time to play bowling and they were very excited, so after Kuya Romward’s instructions, we quickly headed to the bowling alley for the application of what he taught. 😀
The eight teams were assigned a lane each, and once the members’ names were entered into the scoring machines we were good to go! At first, the kids were shy because they felt they didn’t know how to begin. The Ates and the Kuyas happily assisted the kids until they got the hang of the game and started bowling on their own. Some kids actually caught on very quickly and were even able to get strikes! 😀 The bowling alley was filled with cheers coming from every team and it was easy to see that the kids were having a blast from the experience. 🙂 After ten frames, each of the teams’ scores were counted, while the kids returned to the cafeteria to rest before the last part of the event.
The winning team and the top scorer were announced, and they were given storybooks for their prizes. Ate Jill, along with her siblings, then distributed her gifts of school supplies to the children. We huddled for group photos after, but before that, we sang a birthday song for Ate Jill as she blew on the epic cakeless candle. 😀
It was a memorable afternoon indeed, and as the rest of the nation remembers the freedom we inherited from our forefathers, we were privileged to see a family using that freedom to go beyond their conveniences and reach out to children who will also inherit our nation next. 🙂
