It’s one thing to attend We Day. It’s a whole different thing to be part of We Day. This year, I took on that role as a CROWD PUMPER! In short, I missed a day of school to scream and dance inside the Saddledome, listening to famous performers and mind-blowing speakers. Over 18,000 people (16,000 students) filled every last seat of the dome on October 24.
Unless you, too, were a crowd pumper at We Day, you’re probably wondering a couple things…
1) Who/what/where/why is We Day?
We Day is a celebration of a year of social action in young people. More importantly, We Day is the start of another year of young people taking action. To some, that could mean collecting cans or serving meals. To others, it may be saving the environment or raising awareness about water or education or poverty or any other issue. There is one common goal: changing the world for the better. Craig and Marc Kielburger, the founders of Free the Children and Me to We, made We Day a reality so that youth could celebrate and rekindle the humanitarian spirit. This season, the stadium-sized event is coming to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Waterloo, Montreal, Atlantic Canada, the UK, and Seattle. Already, speakers and performers including Demi Levato, Magic Johnson, and 10-year-old Hannah Alper, have inspired students at We Days in Vancouver, Minnesota, Toronto, and now Alberta!
2) What/(who?) are crowd pumpers?
Hundreds (literally) of youth 14 years and older take We Day a step futher and volunteer to be Crowd Pumpers! After an afternoon bootcamp and an evening training session, all of us crowd pumpers filled the aisles of the Saddledome. Our goal? Pump up the crowds! When something powerful was said, we were to clap, cheer, stand up, and energize the stadium. In short, we were there to embody the spirit of We Day and spread it to all the youth.
Attending a volunteering-focused event is one thing, but volunteering at a volunteering-focused event is another. Be part of something bigger 🙂 Live in the moment 🙂 BE EMPOWERED!
My message to you: volunteer. You never know where it could take you 🙂
Images from: http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/834177/we-day-alberta-nelly-furtado-magic-johnson-and-down-with-webster-rock-the-saddledome/#link-to-full-image-for-nojs http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Gallery+Over+students+celebrate+Saddledome+2013/9077722/story.html
