More Than Watching Boys in Skirts by Aria

More Than Watching Boys in Skirts by Aria - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

I am always moved to action by a large group, so one of our largest Key Club events struck me as an ideal opportunity to involve many young people and yield a gigantic, beneficial impact. Bi-annually, our club plans and hosts a Powder Puff football game, in which gender stereotypes are bent, the girls play, and the boys cheer in full uniform. While it’s certainly a social gathering as well as a reliable form of entertainment, our club has always acknowledged the need for a more selfless good to come of such a large event. For that reason, we always select a beneficiary to receive every cent of our profits.

My mind instantly went to Rick's Place Inc., a Wilbraham, MA-based non-profit that offers bereavement support to children and their families who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Having began after the death of Rick Thorpe, a husband, father, and former Wilbraham resident who lost his life on September 11, 2001, the organization was fairly young. The talented board members and volunteers had already managed to provide services to many families from surrounding areas, but nobody could ignore that they were in need of funding. The club graciously accepted Rick's Place as our beneficiary, and we got to work.

Every Key Club member was involved in the planning and running of the game, starting with organizing rosters. After that point, it was our members, and us alone, who contacted administrators for site availability; obtained sports equipment and uniforms; found volunteer referees, team coaches, announcers, and medical personnel; designed, printed, cut, and sold the entry tickets; donated refreshments to be sold at the concession stand; advertised the event; admitted spectators; sold concessions; and, lastly, cleaned up the entire stadium area at the conclusion of the game. It was difficult to balance school, sports, work, and other activities with the careful consistency needed to plan such a large event, but we persisted and tried our best to stay organized and cover every detail.

Following the event, I knew that it had been a success, but running from the concession stand to the entry gate to the stands to the field, I, in hindsight, was unable to truly anticipate the outcome. It wasn't until our club supervisor called me to her classroom to receive the announcement I was to read over the intercom at the end of the school day. I couldn't believe my eyes: we had raised $3,500, the greatest profit in all of the years of hosting the event. This was enough for Rick's Place to provide full-year bereavement services to not one, but three children.

I distinctly recall someone, our school’s band teacher, with whom I had never really spoken, stopping me in the hall after I read the notice, looking shocked and saying, "I don't remember it ever being that much!" Though surprised myself, it boiled down to careful planning and persistence on the part of the club members, who served not only as the event's composers, but its conductors. With multiple committees dedicated to particular areas of the event, we were able to address specifics and ensure that nothing, from napkins to the lights on the field, was overlooked. Yes, this did put greater responsibility on each member to carry out certain tasks, but our club persisted and didn't crumble under the pressure, affirming in me not only the power in numbers but the power in individuals.