CNY Marathon is an annual event for LEO Club of INTI
International University. The aim of organizing this event, is to cheers the
unprivileged senior citizen and children up, especially during this very
meaningful festival, Chinese New Year.
As we knew, all the
Chinese will usually back to their sweetest home for reunion dinner annually
before and during Chinese New Year. Somehow, some of the old folks and
orphanages couldn’t back to their home for some sad reason. Thus, we, LEO Club
of INTI International University are organizing this event annually, to visit
and to bring them the feeling of celebrating Chinese New Year, by singing
Chinese New Year songs, Chinese instrument performances, souvenir giving and
etc.
On 12th February 2011, all the committees and
participants were gathered in front of Multi Purpose Hall (MPH) start from
7.45am in the morning. Then, we moved all the gifts for the welfare homes into
the bus after some participants arrived. Gladly, all the committees and
participants came before 8.10am and we departed earlier than our expectation.
Everyone is very punctual and it created a good beginning for the event.
On 9.00am, we arrived on the first home, Rumah Charis (Home
for Aged). The first thing we did is to carry all gifts down to the home, such
as washing powder, toilet rolls, biscuits and etc. In Chinese’s believe, orange
is a fortune gift, so we do prepared for few boxes of oranges for all the
welfare homes. After we placed down the gift, we connected the speaker and
started our Chinese New Year songs singing. The old folks seems to enjoy the
songs as we can saw them clapping their hands and sing along with us. After
singing 2 Chinese New Year songs, our performers started to play Chinese
instrument. To match the CNY Marathon’s theme, one of their performing songs is
a Chinese New Year song, and everyone begun to sing along with the music,
clapping their hands together. After enjoying the music, we have had a sharing
session, which to chat with the old folks and share the happiness of
celebrating Chinese New Year. Everyone is just having fun talking to the old
folks and some of the old folks even not willing to stop sharing their precious
experience. Continue by, we have danced for 2 morale dance and it created the
climax of the time in Rumah Charis, because one of the old folks stand up and
surprisingly, dance together with us. Then, the ceremony of gifting is
conducted, with the photography session after it. All the committees and
participants enjoyed a lot of fun there and back to the bus with an excited
mood. After that, we departed to the second house.
Rumah Charis (Home for Aged)
The second house we been is Mount Calvary Home. Due to the
bus could not drive up to the high hill, so we are dropped on the road and we
walk up for around 5 minutes before we reach the house. The house is kind of
narrow, until some participants have no choice to stand outside of the house.
Yet, the fans are very limited inside the house and it is quite hot especially
when we have so many people in a narrow space. Anyhow, all of these
disturbances did not pull us down; we still sing the Chinese New Year songs to
create the atmosphere, as well as dancing the morale dance. Continue by the
Chinese instrument playing and sharing session, the old folks enjoyed the
activity we planned. After the gifting ceremony and group photo taking, we walk
down the hill and back to the bus, and go for our lunch.
Mount Calvary Home
We arrived at Parkson, OUG on 11.45am, separated into few
groups and enjoyed our lunch at different places. We are then gathered at the bus
stop and departed to the third home of the day. Agathian's Shelter is the
third home we visited. The Indian kids were very active and most of them do
recognize us because they came to INTI IU for Children Camp 6 on June 2010. We are
welcomed by the children and morale dance is conducted after settle down all
the stuffs. We have dance for Chicken Dance, Witch Doctor, Waka Waka and etc.
The children were totally excited and feeling happy, and their smile is so
obvious as we could felt it. After that, we played the game “music orange”, it
is similar to “music chair” but we were sitting down and passing an orange
around instead of walking. All the losers were caught for punishment and they
even enjoy themselves when they are punished. It is kind of cheerful when we
saw the laughter on the children’s face. Same as previous house, we have had a
short sharing, gifting ceremony and photography before we left.
Agathian's Shelter
After an hour of journey, we are finally arrived on the last
home, Yayasan Sunbeams Home. We have fun together with the kids, singing,
dancing. After the gift session and photography taking, the CNY Marathon is
ended with a BIG SMILE on everyone’s face.
Yayasan Sunbeams Home
It is quite a meaningful day, because of our visitation, they feel being cared. We successfully deliver our warmest smile into their heart. We sincerely hope the event could be carrying on from year to year, to warm more old folks and orphanages’ heart.
