The Christmas Tree
I met the sweetest girl at the HERO Olympics my freshman year and we have been friends ever since.
Sarah is smart, curious, and caring, though the burden she feels from her father’s disease taints these positive attributes. This past Christmas, I gave her family a Christmas tree because they could not afford one. As the whole family decorated the tree, the mom stared at it with tears in her eyes.
A tradition, often considered trivial and taken for granted by most people, brought so much joy to their family. Sarah’s family has so many burdens and needs, but small things like a Christmas tree, a day at the zoo, or having a someone who will always listen, a SuperHERO mentor, make such a big difference in their quality of life.
I have seen the positive effects of HERO’s programs on Sarah’s life, and she continually inspires me to devote my time and effort to UGA HEROs.
— Lindel Krige
Someone Just Like Me
To be completely honest, I joined UGA HEROs during my first couple weeks of freshman year because I was looking for an organization that would look good on an application or resume someday and an upperclassman that I look up to recommended it.
In the few conversations that I had with him he was always rambling about how much HEROs had inspired him and though I did end up joining, admittedly I didn’t really buy into it. Throughout my first semester I went to (most of) the meetings and did (about) what was required of me so in December I had the opportunity to attend the HERO Olympics, our major campus event where all of the children come out to Athens for day long carnival.
That morning while everyone was meeting adorable little kids to spend the day with I ran into Quinton, a 14 year old who was pretty much just like me, a teenage guy. We hung out from the moment I ran into him until he had to leave and talked about what anyone our age would talk about – sports, food, and girls – well actually we just ate food, that was quite time. When it was time go we gave each other a manly handshake/hug and traded phone numbers and I haven’t seen Quinton since.
The second he got back home though, my phone started playing the Mario theme song and when I picked up it was him; we spent another few minutes talking about nothing too special. Every now and then I call him or he calls me and on Christmas I sent him a card with a couple pictures in it, yet every time I talk to him I think the exact same thing: Quinton is just like me.
Except, he is nothing like me; a cruel twist of fate has put a burden I can’t even begin to imagine on him. Regardless when we talk it’s never about pain, or isolation, or death, it’s about the Atlanta Falcons, or an Xbox game, or wanting to come to College like any high school kid dreams about.
It’s actually pretty funny, as an organization we spend so much time to raise money and awareness about these kids when they really are just like us, normal children who want to have fun.
The absolutely devastating thing is that most of these kids don’t get to have fun. I think a lot of us take for granted just how much fun just talking to a friend is, but I think that is what UGA HEROs represents a friend to these kids. Whether it’s a new friend they meet at one of the events, a call from someone they have met before, or a memory of a race through a obstacle course, an animal at the zoo, or just a laugh this simple student philanthropy just gives kids an opportunity to smile about something.
After you actually meet one of these kids and see how so very exactly the same they are to you or you sister or your best friend, you can’t help be passionate about the struggle they go through deep inside buried below their skin. Then only when they smile can you see what UGA HEROs is all about.
— Tommaso Tosini
Unforgettable Moments
I first met the Butler family when I picked them up for the HERO Olympics in 2008 and ever since then I have become extremely close and attached to them. They are an amazing family of seven children who have been through a lot in their short lives and who remind me every day of why I love HERO so much.
We recently met up again at HERO for a Day in July and I will always remember that day because it made me realize how much these kids do need HEROs. One of the youngest children, Jocelyn, is a very shy girl who takes awhile to warm up to people and even though she has met me a few times, she still stays closer to the rest of her siblings.
At HERO for a Day, I was walking across the field and I looked down to see this small girl running towards me with her arms outstretched. She ran all the way to me and wrapped her arms tightly around my legs. Once I realized it was her, I was surprised because she normally wouldn’t be so warm towards me right away and I was a little shocked that she recognized me since it had been several months since I had seen her.
At that moment, as I was hugging Jocelyn for what seemed like forever, I realized that all the hard work I put into UGA HEROs I get back tenfold in special moments like that one. I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for the opportunities and experiences HERO has given me. These children have become a part of my life forever and I know in the years to come I will be able to have more of these unforgettable moments.
— Kelsey O’Neill
‘The Small Things in Life Mean the Most
The one thing that has stuck out to me in the past is simply how happy the children get about the small things.
Sure they hoop and holler when they see the huge blow up slides and rides like every other child, but my experience with the kids has shown me something different. They would be just as happy with only balloons and bubbles or jump ropes and a hand to hold.
They make me realize how the small things in life mean the most, and that “things” do not bring happiness – leading a thoughtful and meaningful life does. They humble me every time I see them, and that is what truly inspires me to continue.
— Ryan Fraizer