Since the start of the semester, the Bucks County Community College Athletes took it upon themselves to visit the Ronald McDonald House in Camden, New Jersey this past semester, to brighten the spirits of children battling illnesses.
Groups from the Bucks Athletics department set out for the Ronald McDonald house on four separate occasions starting Sept. 25, and continued to visit until Feb. 23, and have plans of going back.
“We hung out with the kids that were at the house for about an hour,” said Josiah Thompson, Exercises Science major at Bucks. Many other groups had such a good experience they stayed to spend more time.
Thompson also said, “an enjoyable part was playing tag outside with a few of the boys, and then even watching an Eagles game with them.”
Other activities that the athletes performed with the kids at the house included dancing, playing games, building Legos, drawing, and simply just hanging out and enjoying some laughs. This of course was not the only thing the athletes did to entertain the children, Thompson said, “we also had a two versus two soccer game along with shooting around a ball a little.”
After some physical activity, he also noted, “we watched a student of Bucks communicate with a younger Spanish girl for another student of ours, and seeing how the language barrier was not an issue for the two of them.”
When asked about his overall experience at the Ronald McDonald House, Thompson said, “overall the experience was eye opening for all of us, I think each of us were touched in a different way.” He also added, “we got to see a different side of ourselves that others are not used to seeing.”
Another student, Morgan Montgomery, a Nursing Major at Bucks, also chimed in on her experience at the Ronald McDonald House. “Everyone should go there at least once, even if it’s only for a little bit.” She went on to say, “I loved spending time and making the young kids feel special.”
When asked about going back to the Ronald McDonald House, Montgomery said, “I can’t wait to go back.” While also adding, “seeing those kids smiling and having fun makes the experience so much better.”
Putting a smile on the children’s faces at the Ronald McDonald House is also what another student, Matt Rickets, a Business Administration major at Bucks, enjoyed as well. “Just to put a smile on those kids faces for even just an hour makes it worth more than worth it to take time and go help out.” He also added, “I just think that the time the basketball team and Bucks County Athletics in general put into community service is huge for our community.”
After visiting the Ronald McDonald House several times already, the Centurions have fresh plans of going back and serving up more smiles to the children in New Jersey, as some of them have built special bonds and relationships that may last a lifetime.