To help out this holiday season, both boys’ and girls’ basketball teams volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, Dec. 6. Tasks and opportunities included serving food, taking orders and cleaning the rooms.
In addition to campus basketball teams, Sierra High School’s choir participated by singing Christmas carols to Ronald McDonald residents.
Senior Bridget Teixeira thought it was entertaining to hear the choir serenading residents and volunteers, she said.
“They sang to the whole house but sometimes focused on individual guests,” Teixeira said. “I had one boy get on one knee and sing to me, making eye contact the whole time. I got a laugh from everyone and afterward I gave the guy a high-five, because I know it’s probably hard to sing one-on-one to a stranger.”
The Ronald McDonald House is home to many families whose children are being treated at Children’s Hospital Central California. Although the holiday season can be a difficult economic time for families, the House was full of Christmas cheer, Teixeira said.
“It was really fun being around a lot of the families,” Teixeira said. “There was cheer and Christmas spirit throughout the House, and I couldn’t help but smile a lot.”
While the experience was entertaining, volunteering together also fostered unity between the basketball programs.
“The project brought a lot of smiles to the faces of the people at the House,” Tim DeGroot, ’11, said. “Doing it with both the girls’ and boys’ teams was super fun because it brought our whole basketball program together and unified us in service.”
Boys’ basketball head coach Josh Justin agreed with DeGroot that volunteering was an effective way for the teams to come together through service.
“We served the community, and it was a great opportunity to give back,” Justin said. “I enjoyed serving the food and hanging out with people. I also enjoyed watching Brady [Lee, ’12] do his magic tricks to the kids and adults alike. I think it was a fun time for everyone involved.”
While the teams enjoyed the bonding experience, junior Tyler Krigbaum also recognized the gratitude of those they served.
“It seemed as though the people there were very grateful for our service,” Krigbaum said. “They do not often get meals like this every day. I appreciate the staff who work there, as they seem to have huge hearts and love for people.”
Despite the stress of upcoming finals, junior Nicole Hensley said that her time at the Ronald McDonald House was well spent.
“I love how we had the opportunity to serve dinner and spend time with the parents,” Hensley said. “I also loved how, as two teams, the girls and boys came together as one to help out with anything that needed to be done. Overall, it was a great experience for us all to participate in.”
For more information on basketball, check out Boys’ basketball sport shorts, 2010-11, and Girls’ basketball sport shorts, 2010-11.
