CNH CKI's The Sunburst Volume 55, Issue 3 Volume 52, Issue #2 | Page 9

09 Game On! ‘A ha Pai‘ea Keiki Sports Challenge Francis Sakai-Kawada UH Hilo On Saturday August 25, 2012, many university athletes and coaches, several K-family volunteers, and the Vulcan Athletic Club came together to put on the 2012 ‘Aha Pai‘ea Keiki Sports Challenge. This clinic drew in over 70 children from the ages of 7-12 to participate in a sevenhour event, where they would immerse themselves in a variety of sports. The day broke down into two halves. The first half consisted of a rotation of volleyball, basketball, and cross-country. The second half consisted of soccer, tennis, softball, and baseball. The keiki learned the basics – from proper running form to dribbling a basketball to fielding grounders. Many smiles were brought out throughout the day, as these children worked hard and played harder. Many valuable lessons were taught beyond sports fundamentals such as, the importance of staying hydrated as well as developing proper work ethic in anything you want to excel in – whether it sports or academics. The children were not the only ones working hard throughout the event. Circle K members from the University of Hawaii at Hilo were dispersed as supervisors to each group and were given the task of assisting their group in any way. Tasks included keeping the group hydrated, fetching stray balls for the athletes, demonstrating proper form in many of the sports, and much more. Although this event was very strenuous to say the least, it was also very rewarding to teach the benefits of living healthy and living life. Ke Ola Pono! Cheer to the Finish Line: Alive & Runing 5K Jannette Alvarez El Camino College On the early morning of September 23, El Camino College woke up ready to serve. We volunteered at an event call Alive and Running, a 5k walk for awareness and prevention of suicide. We were all excited for this event, because we lie to cheer and keep the walkers motivated, especially for this event. At the event, we helped out with registration and got to meet many of the groups that come out for this walk. Many of the groups were formed by people who knew someone that committed suicide and walked in their memory; other groups were formed by people who deal with people trying to commit suicide like the SWAT team and Fire Fighters. After registration, we went to cheer for the walkers. We outcheered the cheerleaders that went. ^_^ It was very moving to see so many people come out and walk for this event. There were many parents that came with their children and many people that came with their dogs. The most moving part was when the walkers got to share their stories, and the reasons why they walked. It was a bittersweet event because there were a lot of shared stories, but it was a fun event. We even got the chance to take pictures with the firemen and a member of the SWAT team. We ended the event with a big WE ARE PROUD OF YOU to the event coordinator for all their great work. It was a great event, and even though we had to wake up at 5am, we were all very glad to have participated in it.