Last night Dar El Awlad hosted its annual Fundraiser
Banquet. This year was a special occasion
as Kids Alive International celebrates 100 years of service. A great deal of work goes into the planning
and execution of the event, but significantly more encouragement comes out of
it. Every year our children and staff
are blessed by the large show of support from individuals, churches and groups from
the local community. It’s never the
fanciest affair in but it certainly has a lot of heart (and I must admit that
we do play dress-up pretty well).
Everyone involved in the banquet looks at some part of it
above the others, whether that’s the decorations, the sound and lighting, the
taste of the food or the interactions with guests. For me, I look at one thing: getting things
on and off the tables. For the past nine
years I have overseen our Dar El Awlad’s team of servers. The boys look forward each year to the
opportunity to become waiters for a table (or two) during the dinner; it has
become a rite of passage. Each year I thoroughly
explain all the procedures very carefully of serving a four-course meal (don’t
run, speak politely to guests, remove plates but not the forks, DO NOT ENTER
THE KITCHEN!, etc….) but always the energy that comes with welcoming over 200
guests send the boys into a bit of a whirl. Following procedure often gives way to
following impulse. Yet without fail, commotion
manages flow together and the end result is satisfied guests with filled stomachs
and uplifted hearts. Thanks to all who
helped make this year’s banquet another great memory in the long history of Dar
El Awlad. Visit our
Facebook page to see more pictures.
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| Preparing tables |
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| Our servers in action |
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| The Stairs!!!! Our greatest hazard between the kitchen and banquet hall. |
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| One of a dozen dishes we served |
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| One of our oldest residents shared about his story and his dreams |
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| A full house of support and encouragement |
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| Not all the children could be servers, but their day will come. |
