On Thursday the 24th, I was given a tremendously amazing opportunity to volunteer for We Day down at the Saddledome. Approximately 18, 000 kids ranging from the ages of Elementary to High School from the Calgary and Edmonton area were fortunate enough to be rewarded with a seat at this event. The Me to We program was founded by brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger and acts to positively impact and empower children’s lives to influence them to do something amazing with their lives for others–and ultimately change history.
Some of the performers at the event were Down with Webster, Shawn Desman, Kardinal Offishall, Nelly Furtado, Karl Wolf, and the Kenyan Boys Choir. If that wasn’t enough to get the crowd fully engaged and pumped up, they brought in speakers such as Chris Tse, Magic Johnson, Amanda Lindhout, Spencer West, and Martin Luther King III. The passion towards life that these individuals have and how they have each overcome their own adversities is more inspiring than I could ever properly explain to somebody, and I will forever be grateful to have had the chance to listen to their words. Each speaker left their own mark on my life but the two speakers who immediately come to mind are Magic Johnson and Martin Luther King III. Magic Johnson had the crowd imitate his move, the ‘No-Look Johnson’ and once everyone had their laugh in doing so, he related it to leadership. “I use that move to help another teammate to score,” he explained, “a true leader is not somebody who is concerned solely with his or her own success. A leader is somebody who helps others to score.” Martin Luther King III also told us something that I will always remember. “If you are a shrub on the side of the road, you be the best shrub there ever was. People driving past will always remember you as the best shrub that they have ever seen in their lives.” I found this extremely inspiring for the simple fact that as a student in high school, most teenagers are under a lot of stress with the thought of what they will be when they are older and if they will be ‘good enough’ in societies eyes. The truth is as simple as Martin Luther King III stated it: “whatever you end up being, whoever you are, if you are passionate and always give 100%, then you will be successful.”
When I got home from this day-long event, and my parents asked me how it went, I started to cry. Not because I was sad, but because of all of the energy, love, motivation, and inspiration towards my future that had been successfully radiated into my heart. Life is a journey, and what better way is there to wring out every last drop from it than by being a leader and encouraging others to stand for something? I thank all of the speakers who came out to speak to us, and I am extremely grateful for We Day to be something every kid can become inspired by.
