Northerners tend to flock to Tampa during the winter months for relief from the cold. So, you can imagine our surprise when we arrived on a deceivingly bright, sunny afternoon only to discover that it was 20 degrees colder in Tampa than in Boston. While waiting for our Care Force Reserves to arrive from City Year Greater Philadelphia, we had ourselves a pretty nice little Sunday at Home Depot and Target. We bought a wide variety of colorful beanbags, chairs, and snacks, which we strategically packed into our full van in lieu of airbags. Then it was off to Crabby Bills, a seafood shack on the bay with gorgeous views of the sunset. We indulged in such local delicacies as “conch balls” and fried alligator nuggets, all of which tasted like chicken. From there we headed inland to the lovely Embassy Suites, excited by the prospect of an espresso machine and omelet chef each morning.
These tasty luxuries, along with a week of clear, blue skies motivated us to begin our days early at Shaw Elementary School, our service partner for this last T-Mobile Huddle-Up event of the year. The staff of the Shaw Elementary School was amazing! They gave us a tour of the school, which resembled a cross between a summer camp and college campus, then gave us our own office for the week with daily cookies and drinks. Care Force One was waiting for us in a field out back, so we immediately unloaded our trusty tape and tarp, and put them to work. Home Depot soon arrived with over 200 pieces of wood to cut for the largest construction project ever attempted by Care Force, a monster 12’x20’ outdoor stage and bench seating for 100 students! Aside from the size, additional challenges arose due to Florida’s hurricane and handicap regulations which stated that each of the 60 legs must be cemented into the ground, each frame must be attached to all adjacent frames with hurricane braces, and there must be a 15’ handicap ramp. Luckily, the dirt was mainly composed of sand so we were able to strike a balance between pain, from feeling as though we’d been running on the beach for hours, and joy, from feeling like small children digging sandcastles. Between gridding out the exact location to dig each hole, cutting wood, sketching blacktop graphics and murals, and taping off rooms and outdoor portable classrooms to paint, we kept ourselves extremely busy! There were breaks of course for activities such as: being introduced to the entire staff of the school, who graciously gave us a standing ovation; helping the T-mobile champions fill up an entire classroom with supplies they had raised; and savoring a delicious ice cream buffet and dessert reception that Shaw’s staff put together for the T-mobile and Care Force project leaders.
We arrived at Shaw before sunrise on event day where, to our delight, we found ice covering all of our outdoor supplies. As we completed some last-minute prep, we heard the musical sound of “Fired up!” coming from the distance. This meant it was time to bring in the volunteers. The teachers lined their students up outside to power greet the volunteers, giving high-fives and cheers as they passed. When everyone was sufficiently fired up from a round of powerful PT, we got to work. The enthusiasm, creativity and diligence exemplified by these 150 volunteers was incredible, and an inspiration to each of the students and staff at Shaw Elementary. Talk about going out with a bang! By the end of the day the cafeteria looked brand-new, the Huddle-Up zone looked like every kid’s dream room, the blacktop was covered with colorful games, seven outdoor classrooms were painted a new Belgian chocolate color, the school had been completely re-landscaped, and I was able to do a backflip on a rock-solid stage with rows upon rows of beautiful benches beside it.
Many a tear was shed during the closing ceremony and we were treated to a very touching performance by the children’s choir who sang multiple verses of “YOU, YOU, YOU! We appreciate you; we think you are…” followed by a rhyme to “cool, great, neat, etc…” All of these components ensure that this project will definitely not be forgotten, and we are delighted to say that T-Mobile employees enjoyed their day so much that they are returning to Shaw to do more service in upcoming months! Now that’s a ripple!
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