WetnWild 5k

With the end of summer quickly approaching the members of John F. Kennedy Key club gathered at the La Mirada Splash and Aquatic center to volunteer for the Wet and Wild 5K. Despite it being 6 am on a Saturday morning, everyone was anticipating the event. This is not the first time I attended this event, and it certainly is something to look forward to.

As more participants arrived at the check-in, the volunteer were brought out to the course. Our club was placed at aid station 2, which was located on the other side of the park. It was a pretty long walk to our station, but there were no complaints because we knew that our role was essential to the race. When we reached our assigned location, we diligently got to work filling cups of water, anticipating the arrival of the runners.

As sun started to beam down and the day getting hotter, more runners started to show up at our station. We had to quicken our pace, placing out cups and filling them with water. At some points, I felt as if I was working at a fast food chain. As well as passing out water, we also cheered on runners, shouting out words of encouragement such as “you can do it,” “keep going,” “don’t give up.” The volunteers’ enthusiasm and hard work was well worth it after seeing the smile on the runners’ face. As the event came to close, we walked along the course, rounding up the cones and taking down the tape.

The Wet and Wild 5k is one of the events I looked forward to most during the year because, not only do the volunteer get to wander through the water park, we are surrounded be many awesome people that are passionate about helping the community. I look forward to attending the event next year, and hopefully I will get a chance to make new friends as well as create another memory that I can cherish.

#marathon