by Alyssa Gabidoulline '20
For the past two years, Sundays had been my one lazy day of the week. A day free of plans, in which I had no obligations. That’s how my Sundays rolled, and that’s how I liked it. But this year, it all changed. Yes, I am now assigned more homework over the weekends, have to worry about SATs, extra-curricular responsibilities, and everything else that is associated with being a junior. These classic examples, however, are not why my lazy Sundays came to an end. Instead, it is because almost every Sunday from 12 to 3pm, I find myself surrounded by kids and young adults like myself in the gym at Tilden Middle School. We spend time together doing fun activities such as dancing and making music, or shooting hoops and building castles out of blocks. The KEEN program, or Kids Enjoy Exercise Now, is a “nonprofit volunteer-led organization that provides one-to-one exercise and recreational opportunities for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities” (KEEN). I first stumbled upon KEEN because of its annual Sports Festival that was held at Avanel park. This was near my house, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to earn some of my service hours. That day was rainy and cold, and I was not very excited to spend three hours outdoors. Nevertheless, there was a tent, and I signed up. So I went. I will never forget the athlete that I coached at the Sports Festival. A young boy who loved Ben Ten and just wanted to dance, despite his disability. Three hours with him was enough to make me see that KEEN was important. Although on the surface it is a program that engages sports and music into a young individual’s week, what it is really about is growth and friendship. Every Sunday when I am partnered to coach an athlete, I know I am going to make a new friend, and that we are both going to take immense strides in our understandings of the world around us. Just as amazing was that after going for several weeks, I began to see some of the athletes that I had coached before. Their smiles and waving hands, and the connection that I now have with the KEEN community fosters a relationship that amounts to so much more than going to volunteer because of a school requirement. I continue to volunteer at KEEN because I look forward to spending time with the athletes. It is easy to say that an individual who has an intellectual or developmental disability is different, and that the two of you could never connect. For seventeen years of my life, I had not been able to be a friend to my cousin, who has autism. He is only a couple years younger than I am, and throughout my childhood, I always thought that we wouldn’t be able to be friends. KEEN has showed me that this is 100% not true. Luckily, I am going to visit my cousin this Christmas, and I am looking forward to finding a friendship that I know is there. Seeing a kid smile because he beat you across the gym, even if he hadn’t said a word to you for the past hour, brings you warmth that even your bed on a Sunday morning couldn’t give you. I truly believe that giving up my lazy Sundays for KEEN was one of the best choices that I’ve made so far in high school. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KEEN is a national non-profit organization, and has multiple locations that high schoolers can volunteer at in the area. There are several locations in the greater DC area (Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington DC), and I encourage anyone who is even slightly interested to come to a session. There is no commitment, but who knows? You might just find yourself coming back. https://www.keengreaterdc.org/
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