Written by: Ate Claudine Regino, U! Resident Photographer
Christmas is time when families get together to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. For the Gabriel family, however, it is also an opportunity to spend time with others, especially those who are not fortunate enough to be with their loved ones this Christmas. They chose to hold their reunion in the Kids Home in Boystown, Marikina and welcomed the children into their very own families.
At around 3:00 pm, all members of the Gabriel family proceeded to the platform in front to introduce themselves to the kids. They were then divided into five teams with four volunteers and five children in each group for the next activities. The first game that they played was called “Act Me Now.” Each team would have to act out the situation that kuya Harvard will mention and perform the most creative depiction in order to gain points. They acted out themes related to Christmas such as the birth of Jesus, carolings, Noche Buena, and receiving aguinaldo.
The next game was called “Picture Me.” Instead of performing the action, each team would have to conceptualize a picture that they have to portray based on the situation mentioned by kuya Harvard and hold their positions until the round finishes. The volunteers and children really squeezed their creative juices to come up with the most unique “picture.” They even used themselves as props and stayed in place despite the difficulty of their position to win the game.
The last activity was “Bring Me Art.” Similar to the traditional “Bring Me,” each group can gain points by being the first team to bring the required items to Kuya Harvard. But then, there is a twist. The members would have to craft these items from paper alone. Kuya Harvard made the game even more challenging by asking for groups of items such as boxes, round fruits, shelters, and a herd of reindeers. It was a no biggie for the teams though, as they found ways to produce these in no time.
After the games, the volunteers from each team got food for the children. Together, they ate the yummy chicken and spaghetti meal and shared more stories to each other while eating. There were even extra food to share for other kids from the Boys Home.
After the clean up, the ates and kuyas went to give their simple presents which the children can use for their everyday needs. The kids were delighted and thankful to receive these gifts and their happiness surely cannot be contained. Their hearts were happy not only because of the things they received, but also for the gift of family during Christmas day. Likewise, the Gabriel family treasured the experience wholeheartedly. Spending time with each other was truly amazing, but being able to share one’s family with the kids definitely made this day a Christmas like no other.
