This semester has been so incredibly busy for me, with a full course load, early morning volleyball practices, traveling most weekends for volleyball games, studying, and of course relaxation time. But in between all of these things, I still found time to volunteer for a cause that is very important to me. On October 10, I, along with four of my volleyball teammates, volunteered my time at the Rett Syndrome Fairfax Strollathon.
Since most, if not all of you, have never heard of Rett Syndrome, I will give you an extremely brief glimpse at what it is. Rett Syndrome is “a unique developmental disorder that is first recognized in infancy and seen almost always in girls, but can be rarely seen in boys. [It] has been most often misdiagnosed as autism, cerebral palsy, or non-specific developmental delay.” And although many people have never heard of it, “Rett syndrome strikes all racial and ethnic groups, and occurs worldwide in 1 of every 10,000 to 23,000 female births.” (info courtesy of: http://www.rettsyndrome.org/ ). If you want to learn more about Rett Syndrome, visit the link just mentioned.
This cause is especially dear to me because my two younger sisters have Rett Syndrome. Before I came out to GW, I always volunteered at Rett Syndrome fundraisers and events in the Midwest and since I began school on the East coast, I thought that it no longer possible. However, as soon as I saw that there was an event in Fairfax, Virginia (only a 20 minute car ride from GW), I knew that I wanted to volunteer and ask some of my teammates to as well. Here is a slightly old picture of me with my two younger sisters: (I am in the middle)
The only thing that made this volunteer opportunity a little challenging was the fact that our team did not return to campus from our away volleyball matches until roughly 3AM and they needed our help at the Strollathon starting at 7:30AM. Oh yes, we were extremely tired, but we made it there on time and we were all so glad that we chose to volunteer. We helped with all the set up (tables, tents, chairs, refreshment area, hanging banners, etc.) and then we helped with the safety and directions along the one mile route. Something that was especially nice for me was that I was able to meet and talk with other families that have loved ones affected by Rett Syndrome. All in all, even though we were exhausted, it turned out to be a successful volunteer outing. Here is a picture of all of us who volunteered:
I have two reasons in posting about this: 1- October was Rett Syndrome Awareness Month and I wanted to share it with all of you and 2-it shows that even when you are in college and in a fairly large city, there are plenty of worthwhile service opportunities to partake in, most likely at least one that is dear to your heart.
Anyways, I hope you found this post interesting!
-Christie
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