By GURLEEN KAUR, junior

The sound of laughter and the pleasant aroma of cookies welcomed visitors to the Key Club Carnival at JP on May 11. Early Saturday morning, Key Clubbers dedicated their time setting up different stations and activities for the participants. With the music roaring in the background and the games ready to be played, the event promised to be entertaining, and the Key Club members were certain that all the children taking part would leave with bright smiles on their faces.

For a small admittance fee of $7, children were able to partake in various activities that included arts and crafts, games, and races while enjoying cookies, chips, and juice. The Key Club donated all the proceeds to Children’s Specialized Hospital in an effort to help the hospital provide better care for children with various diseases. “Volunteering at the Carnival was a wonderful experience because I was able to both have fun and feel satisfied about my service,” expressed sophomore Gunica Bhatia.

Sophomore Lexi Karpf, Second Vice President of Key Club, greeted the young participants in clown attire and entertained them with balloons of different sizes, shapes, and colors. “People think clowns get their smile from the one painted on their face, but it really comes from the happiness of seeing others having fun,” she described. “I was grinning from ear to ear during the Carnival because of the enjoyment I received from making the balloon animals and, more importantly, from seeing all of the kids have fun.”

Running around with face paintings and bags of cookies, children visited art stations and games set up at different locations throughout the hallways of JP to earn tickets they could trade in for prizes. When not playing ping pong or limbo, many of the children continuously returned to challenge the older volunteers in the potato sack and three-legged races in hopes of winning extra tickets.

To add to the lively atmosphere, several artistic students offered to paint faces at the tattoo and art station. The children beamed with excitement as they admired the beautiful pictures, whether it be a butterfly on their hand or a flower on their cheek. Sophomore Shriya Desai, a volunteer at the scratch art booth, exclaimed,“Seeing the kids turn their arms around and crane their necks to see the tattooed or painted designs was rewarding because I was glad that the children admired the art.”

Out of all of these great stations, the one activity that seemed to attract the most attention was the bubble soap art. Everyone was thrilled to find that blowing into a colorful film of soap or a cluster of bubbles onto a piece of paper could create beautiful and abstract designs. For many, this and other engaging activities, like the pyramid knockdown game, which involved hitting target cans with bean bags, were the highlights of the carnival.

The event was a huge accomplishment; everyone had a great time, and the Key Club raised well over four hundred dollars for the Children’s Specialized Hospital. Junior Santosh Coorg summarized, “As the first event of our new executive board, the Carnival was a success that not only showcased the collaborative efforts of members and advisers, but also raised money and provided fun for the community.”