Chan Weng Kit's Blogspot: DAY 205

Mar 25

1) Today has been a really enjoyable day. I woke up extra early today as I was going to Phoenix Park! Now, I've gone to Phoenix Park many times before (the last time was when I visited the Dublin Zoo) but today's event was a bit more special - we were going to volunteer for the Purple Run event, in conjunction with Down Syndrome awareness. So off I went and took bus 46A, which brought me right to Phoenix Park gate.

2) The only problem is Phoenix Park is HUGE! It took me close to an hour of walking(!) to reach our meeting point, even with the map provided by the event organisers. Thankfully, it was a lovely day, full of sunshine and warmth; a far cry from the gloomy, wintry setting just a couple of days back. I met up with some other volunteers, almost all of which were from UCD. Then I was assigned for the distribution of T-shirts and registration, and we worked together as a team.

3) For over an hour, we worked non-stop has hordes of participants came to sign up and grab a free T-shirt. We were soon out of stock for most sizes, which was rather unfortunate. Finally, we finished our stock, and by this time the first runners were returning from their 5km course. We cheered the winner of the event, a young boy who did it in a blistering 18 minutes! The rest of the pack weren't far behind, and it was indeed heartwarming to see families, mothers pushing their strollers, toddlers, the elderly - generally people from all walks of life came to take part in this very special event.

4) The last part of our volunteering involved dishing out food and beverages to the now tired competitors. We took lots of pics of the event, as well as group photos for remembrance. Then it was time to pack up, and we helped load all the extra stuff into the van, to be brought back. The event finished at around 2pm. Overall, it was helped by the marvellous weather; sunny and cool in equal measure, and perfect for a leisurely stroll. I found out I was the sole volunteer from RCSI; everyone else was from UCD haha. Anyway, all of us walked back to the bus station, and I alighted at the city centre, where I walked to the library as usual.

5) I've been in the library for the rest of the day, and I had a nice chat with my parents during lunch. It didn't matter that I couldn't hear a word they were saying - we managed a way around that XD. Took a short nap in the afternoon, and I continued my studying in the evening. All in all, a day very well spent. I guess the weather influences me more than I think. But jokes aside, volunteering for this sort of events really helps give purpose in my life, and seeing the cheerful look on people's faces for a simple gesture is truly worth it in my opinion. And on that note, I shall end my blog here today, Thanks for reading as always, and have a great day. Cheers!