On the afternoon of Friday, October 24, 2025, from 4:30 to 5:30 PM, I joined Yucheng Fu, Dylan Wai, and Goldman Tian at Firefighter Park for a volunteer activity. We played sports with local kids to help them socialize and it turned out to be one of the most joyful and meaningful hours I’ve had lately.
When we got to the park, the kids were already waiting with bright, excited eyes. We started with badminton. Some kids had never held a racket before so Yucheng and Dylan knelt down to show them how to grip it properly. Goldman and I tossed shuttlecocks gently to let them practice hitting. After a while, we switched to tag. We didn’t just stand by and watch. Instead, we ran around with the kids, laughing when they chased us and cheering when they “tagged” one of us. The last activity was kickball, which was everyone’s favorite. We split into two teams, mixing volunteers and kids, and took turns pitching and kicking. I remember one little kid was nervous to kick at first. Goldman stood next to him and encouraged him. When he finally kicked the ball far, all of us yelled “Great job!” together.
By the end of the hour, no one wanted to leave. The kids who were shy at the start were now chatting and high-fiving each other. We volunteers were tired but grinning the whole time. What made this day special wasn’t just the games. It was seeing how sports brought everyone together. The kids learned to pass the ball to their teammates instead of trying to do everything alone. We also realized that even a simple game can help them build confidence and make friends. As we walked out of Firefighter Park, I thought this is what volunteering is about. It’s sharing small moments of fun that end up teaching everyone something important, like teamwork and kindness.
Reported by: Baiyu Chen
Volunteers who Participated:
Yucheng Fu (1 hour)
Dylan Wai (1 hour)
Goldman Tian (1 hour)
Baiyu Chen (1 hour)