BamAndBeyond: GIVE-A-HUG DAY

I just can't start posting 2015 happenings without finishing last year's important matters.

This is my last post for 2014.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION (haha): I'll do my best to make my posts up-to-date from now on.

GIVE-A-HUG DAY is a yearly commitment started by Ate Sal. It has been going on for 15 years now. This happens every December 25 of the year. Yep, Christmas day itself! The goal is to make the children happy through gift-giving. And the gift is specific - stuffed toys! Stuffed toys because the recipients are kids, not just because they can play with it, but because they can hug it any time, whenever they need comfort. COMFORT, because for years now, Ate Sal searches for kids that has been affected by typhoons and other calamities. Each year, we gather as much stuffed toys as we can - from friends, schoolmates, classmates, workmates, etc. Whether old or new, huge or little, it doesn't matter as long as it'll be for a greater cause :)

In 2013, Give-A-Hug happened at Medellin. Kid recipients were the ones affected by typhoon Yolanda. In 2014, we travelled from the City to Tapilon, Daanbantayan to give the kids our hugs! :))

It was a very 'JAM-PACKED' day.
Here, take a look.

This is how we fit in the car.

For 3 hours of travel, we reached Tapilon. We wasted no time. We immediately unpack, prepare and arranged the things we were bringing. These are all for the kids.

The loot bags, with candies. And colognes.

The slippers.

The stuffed toys!

And these are the kids:

A program was also prepared. Various parlor games. Winners get gifts. And did I mention that there was a clown? Uh-huh. Ate Sal hired one.

It was so fulfilling when I saw kids enjoyed the games. Their smiles are food for the soul especially because we know that they've been affected by Typhoon Yolanda and even if they haven't fully recovered yet, they were affected by Typhoon Ruby but they haven't lose hope and still knows how to give the world a grin. One of the best things.

And I guess, it's not only the kids playing hahahahah. We became demonstrators for the game instructions here.

After the games, it's the highlight! GIVING OF HUGS!!! Yeyyyy!

And these are the kids, all-in.

See? That's the power of giving :)

Would a celebration be complete without food? Of course not! Ate Sal also ordered meals for the kids. It started raining outside so we transferred in a classroom.

Everything ended well. Every kid was happy and their parents too. But no one's happier than the group. The hours of travel was worth it. We deserve a groupie for that! :D

OOOOOOPPPPS! But wait, there's more. In the way home, we thought since we're in the north already, might as well visit the beach. So, yaaaasss! :') Strong winds but the cold never bothered us anyway :)))))