There are many moments when I am proud to be a student at Campbell University. On March 25, I found my day full of these particular moments. Every year, Campbell University hosts the Spring Fling for people with developmental disabilities. This annual event was founded in 1983 by the Baptist Student Union in association with the Baptist Convention of North Carolina, and with help from the United Campus Ministries. There were over 300 student volunteers and special needs adults.
This past Saturday, carnival games, crafts, music, and other fun activities filled the Carter gym and provided an exciting opportunity for Campbell students to step outside themselves for a few moments. We were even granted the opportunity to have lunch with this amazing group. I had the honor of running one of the game booths. I was blessed to play with these special people by matching the floating ducks in a kiddy pool with the same matching number of the available prizes.
It was a challenging experience for me because not all of the adults with special needs understood the concept of the game. I really wanted them to understand why they won. However, I had a blast interacting with them. I love how they are so joyful and grateful for everything they receive. They were all so happy when they won a prize for the game, no matter how small.
I was proud to be a Campbell student that day because it brings joy to me that the various groups of students such as Campus Ministries, athletes, school of Pharmacy, Teaching Fellows, and more would take time from their day to help those less fortunate than themselves. I am proud to go to a school that has made this type of event an annual place in the academic calendar. If any of you have not taken the opportunity to volunteer at this event during your time at Campbell University, I highly encourage you to do so, because it was a very meaningful experience for me.