God Bless the Child
Christmas was especially meaningful for me this year because aside from the family gatherings, my wife and I went out to share our blessings with an Orphanage in Davao. The Orphanage policy dictates that we cannot mention their name during our solicitation drive so I won’t mention them in this blog post.
This activity was initiated by the Pug Club of Davao’s President, Arfe Gavilanes. The members threw in their support to the cause by soliciting funds and giving their time.
Initially we wanted to bring our dogs to the place so that the kids could get a chance to interact with our very friendly and lovable dogs. But we weren’t allowed to because of the precaution taken against the kids who are allergic to our four legged friends. So the club decided to go instead with a clown and magic act. With the funds we were able to collect we bought some toys, candies, school supplies and snacks for the kids. The excess of which we also donated to the Sisters running the place.
I have no pictures of the event because the orphanage prohibits the bringing of cameras and video recorders to their place. To respect the privacy of the kids. But I have to say it was a blast with the clown/magician act that we hired. The kids were all rolling on the floor laughing with the antics of their “Kuya Gino”, who was decked in colorful attire and matching colorful straw wig. He started the festivities off by showcasing his amazing balloon sculpting skills, then went to the magic act, interspaced between that were the jokes and the request for volunteers that was required in some of his sets.
After the event when we said our Goodbye’s to the kids and left for our homes, what dwelled within us was the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing that you did something good and that even if for just that day you know that God is smiling down on you.
I guess that’s what I love most about the Pug Club of Davao. More than just a gathering of friends with similar interests, we also like to translate that passion into meaningful change in the world that we are living in. Albeit in our own little way.
In my almost 30 years of existence I have realized that you can easily tell the characteristic of a person based on the type of dog he has in his kennel and by how he interacts with them. Of course, it’s not always full proof but I can honetly say that our friends in the club are generally one of the most kindest persons that we have ever met.
Hopefully if all things work out, we’ll have an even bigger social event this March.
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