Students bring joy to others
Nick Lagoni
R.A., Fisher Hall
Last year on Dec. 9, while most people were diligently studying for finals or getting ready for the upcoming Christmas holiday, a group of men and women from Fisher Hall and Saint Mary's College were hoping to shed a little holiday light on a group of kids. For many of those kids there would be no Christmas holiday.
Donating both time and money, these tremendous people provided 19 kids from Professor Jim Langford's group, "There Are Children Here," an afternoon of fun, excitement and hopefully a bit of love.
For all of these kids, it was a unique experience. The afternoon began with seats at the men's basketball game, provided generously by the basketball team. The rest of the afternoon was spent at Fisher playing fooseball, making Christmas cards and listening to Christmas carols played by some of our very own University of Notre Dame band members. Dinner was at the Dining Hall and was concluded by opening up some Christmas presents.
The smiles on the kids' faces were enough to create a warm feeling inside all of us. Whether we were playing fooseball or opening up Christmas presents, it was difficult to tell who was more excited by it all, us or the kids.
In appreciation of that afternoon, I'd like to take the time, albeit a little bit later than intended, to thank those who made that wonderful afternoon possible.
To the men of Fisher Hall and the women of Saint Mary's, thanks for your sense of generosity and compassion. This event would not have been nearly successful as it was if not for you.
To Dave Prentkowski and the staff at SDH, my thanks for graciously providing dinner for the kids and my apologies for showing you that 10 and 11-year-olds have better manners and eating habits than some of the students here.
To the band members who performed that afternoon, it was an honor and a thrill for not only the kids, but for us as well. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedules to help bring a smile to the kids' faces.
To Fr. Warner and Campus Ministry, thank you for you very generous donation. It went to a very worthy cause.
And finally, a very heart felt thanks to Jim Langford and his kids. It was truly one of the greatest experience many of us have had while at Notre Dame. I hope an afternoon of entertainment for your kids is a fair trade for a moment that will remain with us for a lifetime.
Nick Lagoni
R.A. Fisher Hall
January 23, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Thursday, January 25, 2001
