A DIFFERNT TYPE OF CHRISTMAS TREAT

For Christmas 2009, “Fun and Thrills Adventure Club” members decided to assist and mentor some children from the National Children’s Home in Papine instead of doing their usual gift exchange.

So on Saturday 19^th December we sat down and had breakfast with the kids who are abandoned children living in the home run by the Methodist church in Jamaica and unlike most kids in the island, they have no families with whom to spend the Christmas season or even have anyone to visit them on Christmas day.During breakfast, Damit had a photo slide running, showing pictures of some of the rides we had gone on over the past few months.

After breakfast, we.handed over a cycle rack (made and donated by Howie), safety helmets (for which Naomi got sponsorship) and bicycles. These bicycles did belong to the home, but because they were in a state of disrepair, the club had bought all the parts needed and paid for a technician to go to the school to repair the cycles.This was an excellent technician who took the time to explain to the excited children gathered around him during the four days it took to carry out the repairs, exactly what he was doing and basically how cycles work.

After breakfast, our most professional crasher, Barry, gave the kids a talk on road safety. One of the kids wanted to know how come someone who consistently crashed in the most spectacular manner, could talk to them about safety but it was explained that since he crashed the most, he learnt the most from his experiences.

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From our plans were (it was Charles' idea and this is not unusual since Charles is a professional mentor and surrogate father to many in his own right!)explained early in December to Mr. Leroy Anderson, Director of the National Children’s Home, he was extremely enthused, especially when it was revealed that some members were willing to give time on some Saturdays, to mentor kids by taking them on rides in Hope Gardens.

After breakfast, Mr. Anderson thanked us profusely and urged the children not only to take good care of the cycles but also to remember the safety tips that they were being given.Some members then took a few of the children for a ride in Hope Gardens, promising that this activity would become a regular feature of the Saturday morning activities of the Club.