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Event Description
Cultural Program at Kingston YMCA
Here we are, again, at the Kingston YMCA’s “Camp Starfish” providing 3 programs – Calligraphy, Origami & Kimono Wearing. There were 30 kids this year, and they were WILD.
Due to 3 volunteers missing as they couldn’t make it, Akiko-san handled the Calligraphy table all alone, but she was very experienced so I wasn’t so much worried about her table. She was teaching kids to write “Mizu (water)” in Kanji character. Origami table were managed by Keiko-san and Saburo-san, and both have done as a team many times before. Besides, Origami is the best way to make kids concentrate. So, that desk was controlled pretty much ok as well. Then, here comes a room for Kimono wearing..… We’ve witnessed before that even a shy kid would turn into a Karate Kid once wore a Kimono, so we kind of prepared… We certainly have dealt with energetic kids many times before but anything like this. They were all over the place and some started fighting in Kimono….. But at the end, when they were leaving the room, they all said “Thank you !” in those innocent-sound voice. They were just kids after all.
Thanks to Deon Edmond the Director and YMCA “Camp Starfish” invited us again this year. According to Deon, our program was very much pleased by the Y’s executives and parents. And, as always, I would like to give my sincere appreciation to our volunteer team for their dedication, especially to Atsuko-san who had to dry all those wet Kimonos as well as to repair the ripped ones after the event. Thank you, Atsuko-san!
Midori Shinye
Team Leader
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