Discovery World Health day - Friday 13 April 2012

 Friday afternoon, World Health Day and us Discovery Volunteers were ready and waiting for the kids who would arrive soon to help us celebrate it! They came from various schools aged from around 5 to 16 years old. I don't think the kids new what to expect. I'm not sure we did either!

 While we waited for all the children to arrive we took a bunch of photographs to signify the sober way we undertook this  solemn challenge.

Finally we got to mingle with the kids! Dance, the language we all understand! (With varying degrees of success...)

Our photographer cleverly camouflaged himself within the crowd, can you spot him?

 We had a few speeches from different inspirational speakers. For example this lady told us all about what it was like to climb mountains, and how she trained by walking up and down 21 flights of stairs carrying 10kg's of potatoes! We're sure the potatoes enjoyed the company! I think her little friend there was to help her in case she got a case of nerves!

The kids were held rapt by the speeches.

Then the bunch was divided into groups. My group, Group 2, ended up with 11 little tots who mostly didn't understand a word of English. But a little kindness went a long way to bridging the language barrier.
Here's our lesson on recycling, The kids were better at it than most adults I know.

 Then off we go to a new station and new tasks and challenges! I think most of our exercise came from darting between stations!

 Here we had an interesting lecture on all the good and bad foods you can put into your body. Our young friends didn't seem to really understand what was going on but were very well behaved all the same. I couldn't help but notice though, that while the lady talked of fruits and veggies, their eyes often strayed towards the chocolates and chips. I'm not entirely sure this talk was a complete success...

 

 Run! Run! Run! Good exercise with everyone getting a case of sticky bums!!
Let's just say the events were nothing if not interesting!

And how often do you get to legally tie up kids?

When is junk not junk? How about making skipping ropes from black plastic bags? There's always a way to stay healthy when you're willing to think out the box!

Work those bodies!!! The kids enthusiastically got to do aerobics! The Discovery volunteers did as well! There was some moaning and groaning but the kids understood that sometimes adults just behave that way.

And as the day draws to a close and energy levels start to sink, tired bottoms happily filled chairs. We even got to sit through a fire drill. I suspect we were so tired that even a real fire might not have seemed all that scary.

As the day drew to a close, we had one last farewell and then waved good bye to our tiny charges as they went back to their buses happily burdened down with great Discovery goodies!

It was a very rewarding event, and I think, in the end, our bodies were warm with more than just the ache of used muscles.

Cansa Shavathon 2012

The Cansa Shavathon came to Discovery on the 2nd of March (To the building itself) and the 3rd of March (At Sandton shopping area). I volunteered for both days and this is how it all went down!

FRIDAY - AT DISCOVERY - WEST STREET:

Before 8am and we're down on the loading deck getting things ready for the big day! We're having even the big-wigs of the company come down and spray hair so everything has to be just right! Sprayers to the left, Shavers to the right! Arm yourselves with bottles and razors and tissues and let the masses come!!!

With my blue gloves on, I'm ready to get down and dirty with the spraying! (I figured I'd best do hair spraying since accidentally spritzing someone in they eye would probably be easier to fix then lopping an ear off - people don't forgive things like that...)

Co workers were treated to some colourful creations! "Dah'ling you look Da'VINE!!!"

Some even went the whole hog and got shaved AND sprayed. Later troops moved through the building giving everyone a chance to have their hair fiddled with for a worthy cause! (Or at least get talked into it by co-workers who egged each other on and then chickened out at the last moment.)
Either way it was a great success!

SATURDAY - SANDTON CITY - PROTEA COURT:

When I rocked up, bright eyed and busy tailed, to Sandton shopping centre on Saturday to help out I was part of the second wave of volunteers. The first shift having gone in the morning. I was informed that it was tons quieter than it had been earlier which was a little disappointed but there were still 2 hours yet so let's not get too blue just yet!

This time it was on with purple gloves! I liked the blue better, they gave me a mad doctor look I felt the purple just couldn't. Mind, I took off my one pair as they were extremely hot and left them on the table. When I turned round again someone had made off with them! Personally I'd rather have made off with something a little less reeking of latex but here's to hoping they found a good home and weren't used for dastardly deeds!

This brave lady decided to donate her locks to the organization. She sat on stage as volunteers put her hair into pony tails and then snipped it off. One moment on...

 The next moment gone! (And very well documented as you can see!) This guy right beside me, jumped ten feet out of his skin when my camera click went off!

 The tools of the trade! Someone wonderful had marked exactly what colours where in which bottles. The day before you often just reached blindly for a container and hoped, this way was a LOT easier. And they had so many colours to choose from!!

Everyone was having a blast, excuse the pun!

With all sorts of interesting outcomes!

While onstage various "acts" kept us entertained throughout the day, like these guys dancing to "I'm sexy and I know it" Glad someone does...

Now that's starting kids out right!

I missed whatever puppet show they had with this little guy, for which I am rather sorry for I think it would have been interesting to watch!

 Rules and regs for the shavers. Art by yours truly.

But it was really a lot of fun and some people totally got into the mood and the fun! Like this little fellow. He had his hair spray painted at least twice, and his face decorated, then had his head shaved and spray painted once more! He certainly got his money's worth!

It was really a fun event and raised a lot of money for those in need! For those who think volunteering is boring or a waste of time, now you know better! Here's to a very colourful time had by everyone at the Cansa Sahvathon 2012!!