Articles
Read about our recent volunteer oppurtunities! For more pictures, see gallery!
The Color Run (3/15/14)
By Remy Afong
Color. Running. More color. Dance party. Even more color. What could be better?
On Saturday, March 15th, we volunteered at The Color Run, also know as the Happiest 5k on the Planet, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.This unique race, which celebrates happiness, healthiness, and individuality, is essentially a massive party, with the goal being to have fun and be drenched with color from head to toe by the end of the day.
When we first arrived, we worked at the pickup station to hand participants everything they would need for the race – a Color Run t-shirt, bag, headband, and much more. While our job was initially slow and relaxed, as the morning went on, huge crowds of color runners came our way, leaving no room for breaks. Although it was tiring and the sun was shining bright, seeing the excited looks on people’s faces and feeling the aura of pure happiness made our work fun and lifted our own moods.
After the race began, we cleaned up our station, and then moved on to prep for the finish festival. We were assigned to help out at one of the photography stations, in which color runners could take photos of themselves beating drums with colored dust, sending the dust flying everywhere when they beat them. We added more dust to the drums after each photo was taken. From our station, we could hear the blaring music coming from the stage and see the massive color throws taking place every few minutes.
We had tons of fun volunteering, throwing color dust at each other, and being a part of The Color Run celebration. This unforgettable event is one that we are definitely looking forward to volunteering at again, or maybe even running in, next year!
MLK, Jr. Regional Shoreline Habitat Restoration (2/15/14)
By Remy Afong
On Saturday, February 15th, we volunteered at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park in helping to clean the park and preserve the habitat for endangered species.
When we arrived, our event leader gave us a brief overview of the park's history and also mentioned the various species living in the area. She told us that only about 80 California Clapper Rails, an endangered bird, live in this park (there are others around the Bay Area), and we even got to see one!
After learning about the park, we began working. Along the shoreline, we weeded unwanted radishes and weeds to allow for new plants to grow. While we were weeding, a little boy riding on his bicycle passed by and asked if we were digging for dinosaurs, which was super cute and made us all laugh.
After we finished weeding, we spread mulch around the new plants to help them survive. We then had a short snack break and were assigned our next task - picking up trash along the shoreline. We found all sorts of things - chip bags, shampoo bottles, and even a toothbrush!
Although it was quite chilly and the ground was slightly muddy, we had a fun time learning about new plant and animal species, helping to maintain the park, and finding random items along the shore. It felt great knowing we contributed to keeping the park clean and safe for the animals that live there. We hope to continue volunteering at environmental awareness events to help keep our planet clean!
KPFA Crafts and Music Fair (12/14/13)
By Rachel Fong
On Saturday, December 14th, Piedmont Key Club was able to volunteer at the KPFA Crafts and Music Fair in San Francisco. It is the largest weekend holiday craft fair of its kind in northern California, and featured exhibitors throughout the West Coast. The fair even included live music and a food court for guests.
When we arrived at the fair, we were divided into four groups to monitor different areas of the building. We then introduced ourselves to all of the different booths, and offered our assistance to them. For example, my group was able to help a booth that specialized in jams and juices label their jars. Afterwards, they even gave us free, freshly-made apple and grape juice to bring back to our club. We also assisted a hula-hoop entertainment area, and were able to hula-hoop while watching over the guests that participated alongside us.
Overall, we had a lot of fun at the event as we got to assist the booths while getting to know the vendors and sample their products. We attended this event last year as well, and hope to continue to volunteer at next year’s fair as well!
Oakland Kiwanis Holiday Auction (12/7/13)
By Allyson Chan
On Saturday, December 7th, Piedmont Key Clubbers excitedly stepped into the Red Lion Hotel to help out the annual Oakland Kiwanis Holiday Auction, which raises money for high school scholarships. Immediately greeted by friendly Kiwanis members, we sprang into action with our first task: helping sort out papers and compiling them into tickets and packets for the auction.
It was a very special day for all of us since this was also the first time in a long while that Key Club was helping out the annual Oakland Kiwanis Holiday Auction, because this event was usually held on Monday afternoons. After we finished with the compilation, we were greeted by our sister club, the KIWIN’S of Oakland Senior High School. We were then separated into two different groups, one for manning the entrance booth, and the other for selling raffle tickets inside. With each raffle ticket selling for $5 with a possible prize of $1000, we quickly sold over 800 tickets and were even running out of tickets. While some of us rushed around inside the event with the raffle frenzy, others were outside collecting dinner tickets and signing people in. At the entrance booth, we quickly learned how to sign people and their respective KIWIN’Ss in, simultaneously mastering elementary math by giving out exact change. If we thought selling raffle tickets was the real exhilarating part of the event, then we were dead wrong.
As everyone filed in and bought their raffle tickets, the silent auction had already started. Soon people were walking around the room and writing down their bids and names. Along with the KIWIN’S, we then waited till the silent auction ended to announce the winners. It was then that we realized just how many people liked Buster Posey and the Giants. As the silent auction was happening, dinner, which consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes, and cheesecake – which looked absolutely delicious – was being served. Since we were busy the entire time, we were getting hungry just by smelling the wonderful gourmet aromas. Thankfully, we were treated to In and Out later that evening.
When the silent auction settled down, the main event of the night, the live auction, started. A few of us were at the front helping the emcee display the items for auction, holding it up and walking around the room with it. The rest of us were stationed at each table, recording down the winning bids of each item for our respective tables. This was where the excitement peaked. Some items elicited such response from the crowd that the bidding didn’t stop for more than 15 minutes, and really made us wait in anticipation for the result! The emcee was also a blast – he kept spirits high for the entire time.
Overall, it was extremely fun event. Both our Key Club and the KIWIN’S got to know each other well, along with meeting a few Circle K’ers who were attendees. We all felt like cross-K-family events were important, especially since prior to this event, our own Key Club had no idea that the KIWIN’S had even existed. We also had the fortune to meet the man who had founded the original name of the KIWIN’S, which was originally the Keywanettes. And since family is so important to us, especially the Kiwanis family, hopefully in the future, we’ll be able to host an event and invite our other K-family members! We definitely want to help out the Oakland Kiwanis Holiday Auction again too!
On Saturday, November 16th, Piedmont Key Clubbers volunteered with Uhuru Pies, an organization that works to support African self-determination and bring recognition to African culture. Using recipes gathered from traditional African kitchens, Uhuru Pies holds annual holiday pie campaigns and fundraisers to raise money for the African community.
When we arrived at 10:00 a.m, we were first given a quick briefing on Uhuru Pies’s goals and mission statement, and also what we would be doing that day - creating apple pie filling. Initially, we all worked together to peel and slice the apples. After gathering a significant amount of apples, we were split into groups. While one group continued to peel and slice the apples, the other group, the one I was in, began to prepare the filling.
In a large mixing bowl, we combined cinnamon, sugar, flour, butter, water, and of course, apples, to create the filling. Using our hands, we tossed the ingredients together until thoroughly mixed, then placed the apples into trays to be baked. Once the baked apples were cooled, we transferred them into buckets for storage, to be used for baking apple pies at a later time. As we worked, the fragrant aroma of cinnamon and apples filled the kitchen, creating a warm holiday atmosphere and making us all very hungry!
In the four hours that we volunteered, we went through seven huge boxes of apples. Although tiring, we had a lot of fun using the super cool, all-in-one apple corer, slicer, and peeler, tossing the apples like a gigantic salad, and inhaling the fresh scent of holiday baking.
Our members always enjoy volunteering with Uhuru Foods, whether it be at their Farmers’ Market stand or in the kitchen preparing pies. It feels great to know our time is being well spent by supporting their worthy cause. Uhuru Foods is a very inspiring organization and we hope to continue volunteering with them and also find similar organizations to work with in the future. We encourage other clubs to organize service events with Uhuru Foods, or to support their organization by buying their delicious pies!
Uhuru Pies (11/16/13)
By Remy Afong
Piedmont Harvest Festival (9/29/13)
By Remy Afong
On Sunday, September 29th, about eight of our members volunteered at the Piedmont Harvest Festival. A few of us prepped food in the kitchen, a few of us helped serve food to customers, and a few of us volunteered at the carnival booths for little kids. I was a part of the group working in the kitchen to prepare Caprese salads.
Arriving at 10a.m., my group's first task was to peel basil leaves for the salad. While the chef cut the tomatoes, we began making the salads. They consisted of four layers of tomato, three layers of mozzarella cheese, and three layers of basil. The tomatoes were an assortment of colors, ranging from crimson ted to vibrant orange to forest green. We had a lot of fun assembling the salads to make them as beautiful and colorful as possible. As we made them, we sent out trays of salad to be sold. Because they were selling so fast, we had to assemble the salads continuously, with hardly any breaks in between.
When the lunch rush died down, we had the opportunity to try the delicious food and also walk around the festival. Some of the attractions included a scarecrow contest, a baked goods contest, and also a largest pumpkin contest! We also got to observe and participate in the carnival events. I got a cute butterfly and dinosaur painted on my face.
Although it was a tiring day, we had a lot of fun brushing up on our cooking skills and aiding our community in making this highly anticipated festival happen. We look forward to participating in similar events in the future, and will hopefully volunteer at this festival again next year!
J-Sei Family Food Festival (9/8/13)
By Robert Yu
On Sunday, September 8th, Piedmont Key Clubbers volunteered at the 2nd Annual J-Sei Family Festival, in which clubbers assisted at a dessert booth at this El Cerrito event. The event was put on by the Contra Costa Japanese American Citizens League. This league is the largest national Asian American civil rights organizations that are determined to secure and uphold the human rights of Americans, while still preserving the cultural heritage of the Japanese American Community.
We arrived at the event at 10 A.M., and were immediately put to work. At the dessert booth, we were in charge of setting up tables, providing accurate information on the various desert samples (such as: assorted mochi, shortbreads, and unique rice cracker popcorn and cookies), and advertising a future event at the Rosie the Riveter center.
Initially, we set up the tables and then boxed the various deserts in groups of four. Then we learned the basics of marketing techniques, along with being able to differentiate between the desserts. After memorizing all of the desserts, prices, and marketing techniques necessary, we sold many treats at the dessert table. In addition, some of our volunteers, including myself, walked around at the event, handing out samples and describing what each sample was. After nearly selling out on everything, we marked our prices down and were even more successful with our results. At the end of the day at 3 P.M., we closed up and said our goodbyes to the very friendly workers in charge of the booth.
Volunteers are welcome and encouraged to volunteer at more events, to understand the value of culture. This league is a very friendly group of people who encourage volunteering to better understand their surroundings. This was a very fun way to earn community service while dealing with interesting desserts!
Relay for Life (7/29/13)
By Remy Afong
On Saturday, July 27th, Piedmont Key Club volunteered with Relay for Life in the fight against cancer. Relay for Life events raise funds for the American Cancer Society, which in turn uses the money to invest in cancer research and to provide services and information to cancer patients throughout the world.
Arriving at 9:00a.m., a few members and I helped prepare for the event by setting up tables, prepping food for the walkers, and making Luminaria bags in memory of cancer victims. During the opening ceremony, we handed out schedules to the walkers and also participated in the opening lap!
In addition to helping out at this event, we also got to learn a little about Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. Although we only volunteered from 9:00a.m. - 12:00p.m., the event lasted for 24 hours. Walkers set up tents and stayed the night in support of the cause. Because cancer never sleeps, there was always one participant walking around the course at all times.
Although the turnout was relatively small, I could feel the strength of the walkers’ immense spirit and determination. It was heartwarming to see everyone come together to fight back and support their loved ones. Coming to this event really showed and reminded me why I love volunteering and being a key clubber - it’s all about the service.
Uhuru Foods Farmers' Market (6/29/13)
By Remy Afong
On Saturday, June 29th, Piedmont Key Clubbers aided Uhuru Foods in running their food booth at the Grand Lake Farmers’ Market. Uhuru Foods is a non-profit organization that works to improve conditions for the African community and promote self determination for African people throughout the world.
At the food booth, we were split up into two groups. My group helped prepare omelets and scrambles. The other group managed the grill by cooking potatoes and onions, and by putting together breakfast wraps. Since many of the ingredients used in cooking were fresh from the farmers’ market, when we ran out of an ingredient, we sent someone out to buy more from a local food stand. In addition to selling breakfast food, we also sold fresh hibiscus coolers, the perfect drinks for a hot summer day.
Volunteers are welcome and encouraged to help Uhuru Foods manage their food booth every Saturday at the Grand Lake Farmers’ Market. It is a super fun and easy-going event where volunteers can socialize with local customers and brush up on their cooking skills!
Uhuru Foods Maker Faire (5/18/13)
By Remy Afong
On April 18th, Piedmont Key Clubbers aided Uhuru Foods in running their food booth at Maker Faire in San Mateo. All of the proceeds went towards building a Uhuru kitchen in East Oakland to help the African community.
Arriving at 9:00am, we helped Uhuru set up their booth and began prepping the food to be sold later in the day. We were divided into groups of two or three to perform a variety of tasks, such as cutting vegetables and making garlic fries.
In the middle of the day, we took a quick lunch break to try Uhuru’s delicious food - crab cakes, plantains, veggie burgers, garlic fries, and much more. Afterwards, we continued to make and sell food, and enjoy mingling with each other and the customers. Around 3:00pm, when our shift was over, we walked around the fair and looked at what all of the other booths had to offer.
Volunteering with Uhuru at Maker Faire was an amazing experience because not only did we get the opportunity to learn how a food booth is run, but more importantly, we got to help better our community!
DWS: Rebuilding Together Oakland (4/20/13)
By Remy Afong
On April 20, we joined our fellow Division 2 Key Clubbers and Rebuilding Together Oakland (RTO) in helping an elderly woman named Opal renovate her house and garden.
Arriving at 8:00am, we first enjoyed a quick breakfast of cinnamon and blueberry muffins. After being introduced to the RTO program, we were then briefed on the various tasks to be completed by the end of the day and were split into groups.
Our group had the job of scooping debris in front of Opal’s house into the dumpster, using shovels and a wheelbarrow.
After cleaning all of the debris, we moved on to painting the front of the house. Not only did we paint her house beautifully and skillfully, but we also painted each other, not so beautifully and skillfully.
Other groups painted the sides and back of the house, cleaned the garage, and cut the blackberry bushes and ivy plants in the backyard.
Although it was a long day, we had a lot of fun meeting and bonding with key clubbers from throughout our division. We feel great that we not only helped Opal renovate her home, but also had tons of fun doing it.
We look forward to participating in more division-wide service events and making more memories with our Key Club family!
