Fall Kickoff

The first event planning opportunity that I remember was my first holy communion party when I was in second grade. My mom threw together a family picnic with dozens of people, all to celebrate me. I didn’t know what went into the planning beforehand, but the event itself was so much fun that I just wanted to be involved with planning events after that. I got to be included in planning family reunions, birthdays, graduation parties, and eventually such things as wedding planning later in life. Being involved in planning the Fall Kickoff was loads of fun for me, as I like big, outside of the box things, I love fun, and I tend to be the biggest kid in the room.

The process is exciting from the outset. Researching and pricing and contacting people to see their availability. It’s like putting a
puzzle together with time slots instead of pieces and then pairing the puzzle with an intended audience and a team of people to execute the puzzle, while making sure that each person gets to enjoy the event as well. It’s a learning experience for sure, as some things work and some things don’t. But if you don’t try, you’ll never know.

This year, we were blessed with good weather and a great turn-out. I am sure I was not the only one asking God to give us a day with no rain, and He answered! I was excited to find a giant “rock wall” and slide for the kids. They had so much fun with the slide and, as most of them were soaking wet from water balloons, it made for a fun and wet day. The food was amazing, the team put together a delicious smorgasbord for everyone. As a dedicated salad eater, I have to say my most favorite was the salad with its simple homemade dressing. I could have eaten a giant bowlful! The animal presenter was great… the lemur was adorable and the kookaburra was pleasantly loud and lively. I know many people enjoyed cheering for the Steelers, especially my husband. But
the highlights of the day, for me, was the gorgeous sunflower I had painted on my face and getting soaked with the kids!

If you missed the day, you missed out on a good time! The best part about the Fall Kickoff is catching up with people you rarely see, if they attend a different Sunday Worship Gathering than you, and getting to slow down to enjoy the company of your friends (old and new) at GAC.