Today was a busy weekend for the USC Helenes. It was both Spirits in Action and Swim with Mike, and we are required to work two shifts at either or one at each. Last year, I worked Swim with Mike, which, through a swim-a-thon, raises scholarship money for athletes that lost theirs due to disability.
This year, I decided I wanted to be a buddy for Spirits in Action, which pairs USC student volunteers with a mentally or physically disabled child to play games for the day. The morning began with a pep rally with the Spirit of Troy and the Song girls as well as the spirit leaders. My buddy’s name was Allie and we did everything from meet Traveler (our mascot, the white horse) to getting our hair spray-painted. She told me I looked like a Barbie with my hot pink glittery strand. We rode the train around Doheny, made spin art, and played soccer, all in the lovely hot weather we had in Los Angeles!
After I finished my lunch at Spirits and the event ended, I headed over to the swim stadium to check out Swim with Mike. Just like last year, it was packed with USC students, parents and alumni. The marching band played there too, and the football team raced the song girls across the pool. I so badly wanted to jump in that pool!
I went home, grabbed my homework, and planted myself in the middle of Founder’s Park in the shade. I rolled out my straw mat and read a little before taking a much-needed afternoon nap.
The pink sadly washed out of my hair upon showering, but I’ve still got my Toms tan and rosy cheeks to prove that I spent all day outside volunteering. 