By Jacelyn Hamamoto

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Having spent Feb. 16 at the Great Aloha Run doing everything from passing out finisher shirts to assisting the local Lions Club, MHS’ Leo Club immersed themselves in another community event.

“Events like these are enjoyable because we are helping and making a difference. It may be a small difference but it’s still helping people, and that’s why we’re here,” said Senior Marisela Devora.

The Leo Club has been volunteering at the Great Aloha Run for years, performing tasks ranging from passing out refreshments to passing out T-shirts at the finish line. “The Great Aloha Run is a massive event with over 20,000 runners. Such a large event needs a lot of helpers. The biggest job was passing out T-shirts to the runners,” said Leo Club President Senior Anthony Menor. “This task needed as many volunteers as possible and we were happy to be a part of that group.”

The students wore themselves out working full shifts from early morning to the afternoon. “They’re really tired by the very end because we have to wake up at 3 a.m. and get down to the stadium by 6:30 (a.m.). They’re passed out on the way back,” said Leo Club adviser Curtis Ogi.

The Leo Club got to bond with chapters around the island, enjoying meeting each other as well as making a small difference with their services. “Most of the students who do sign up for service clubs are already good kids and they want to be involved,” said Ogi. “We try to stress community service as being a fun bonding experience, especially for events like this when we can work with different Leo Clubs.”

The Great Aloha Run and the Lions Club were grateful for their support. Having a reputation of an older crowd volunteering, they were happy to see young faces getting involved. “To have the kids there, they have the energetic bodies to be lifting, so they always appreciate that. But the runners were really grateful. There were a lot of people thanking us (for being) there,” said Ogi.

Ogi has stressed the importance of service through his example. “Community service should be intrinsically motivated, you shouldn’t be doing it for an award of recognition and so I try to (emphasize) that fun element,” said Ogi.

Ogi’s message has been communicated to the students. “Community service gives people opportunities to grow and often see the world as a different place. I think it’s something everyone should experience at the very least once in their lives, because helping others is a wonderful feeling,” said Devora.

The Leo Club will continue to carry out their club’s mission as they do activities and service projects to help out the community, and attend an annual convention right before spring break.