Splishin' & Splashin'

Friday was an awesome day at Carson! With over two-hundred kids on the beach there was never a dull moment! After I finished signing groups in I took to the beach with the intention of having some fun. When I got on the sand I headed for the sports portion of the activities. After playing some soccer and playing some catch I helped gather up the kids for the splash! After some very delightful singing (if I do say so myself) the kids were ready to get off of the hot sand and into the cool water.

After everybody cooled off we ate some hot dogs. I ate one too many and then headed back to the beach. After some water fights and soaked t-shirts, we were all ready to head back to work. It was crazy to see all of the kids around the beach fish printing, face painting, and just plain having fun. The face painting was so cool to see! The kids were covered in so many different designs! This Friday was definitely a good one.

Just Keep Swimming!
Sam

Beach Bash!

The Beach Bash we had on Friday was epic! So many kids came to see what was going on at Carson! It was so fun. There were camps from all over Boston that came down to enjoy a hot day at the beach with Save The Harbor. From frisbee, to soccer, to football, to free ice cream on the pavilion, everything made the kids smile. I love the free ice cream that was provided. My favorite flavor, vanilla. Not to mention the free jerky they were giving out as well. These two kids bet each other that they could out eat the other with the cups of ice cream. As you can see, my friend John on the left easily beat Wence.  

Everyone meet my friend Madelyn here. She's five years old, and we were in the middle of the face painting line. She's come down to the beach with The Ollie preschool many times before this, and she's a great kid. I taught her how to throw a football one day and now she's always itching to play catch. She loves frisbee and digging in the sand. We saw each other in the face painting line and it was a must that we take a picture together. She ended up with a tiger on her face, and somehow she convinced me to let her draw a jellyfish on my arm. It was a great day to be at the beach, especially if you were a kid. Until next time, keep on exploring, Preston.

Splashing Into the Beach Bash

Hello again fellow adventurers!

It's that time of the summer again, time for the annual Beach Bash and Splash! With Carson beach packed with hundreds of eager kids and even more hotdogs, the stage was set for the perfect day at the beach. It was low tide in the morning when the Beach Bash began, so myself and a few other staffers tried our luck at clamming with some of the kids. We walked along the shore stomping on the ground, looking for spouts of water to shoot up, indicating that there was a clam below. With the tide quickly rising, only a few tiny clams were found intact before we had to move on to some other fun events around the beach!

From face painting and fish printing to sports, there were so many fun stations going on every which way you looked. Kids were running around with magnificent pieces of artwork on their faces courtesy of the expert face painters, and even some of the counselors were lined up to get their faces painted. Once all of the groups had made it to the beach, we all gathered around to sing a couple of sea shanties before splashing our way into the water. All of the Save the Harbor staff taught the kids our own personal sea shanty "Hey Hey Bo Diddily Bop" which is always a crowd favorite. Then David Coffin gave us his best rendition of "Haul Away Joe" before the mad dash to the water.

After a quick dip in the water, it was time for lunch. With a full staff of cooks, hundreds of hotdogs were handed out to fill the hungry little mouths running amok around the beach. At the end of the day, I think it was another successful Beach Bash. I've now been a part of the last three, and I think they only continue to get better and better every year. I can't wait to see what's in store for next year!

Until next time, keep on exploring!
-Luke C.

Wohoooooo

Hey guys!

Today was the big beach bash and splash !!! It was relaxing and a great end to this week. I face painted, which was so much fun. My favorite face painting I did was giving a girl a mustache and unibrow. It was hilarious. There were so many kids. I didn't know there would be such a great turn out. It was also the birthday of one of my friends and needless to say he got a great birthday surprise of ice cold water. We also had a huge lobster there in a touch tank. We named her lady the lobster. Aside from all of that this was the best experience I've had this summer. I can't wait to see what next week holds. Until next time!

~Jayda 

Beach Bash Splash

Friday was my first time working at the Beach Bash Splash event. It was really awesome and fun. There were a lot of kids there and they were having fun. I never thought how much fun it was going to be. All the kids were being active; they were playing sports or in the water, not one kid was sitting. People who didn't go in the water got thrown in- it was really funny. The kids got involved too, throwing buckets of water at us. It was a great time and good experience.

-Andy

752 Kids Make A Very Big Splash!

  

On Friday August 8th, 752 youth and teens from 10 youth groups from Boston’s neighborhoods and surrounding communities took part in Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's  4th Annual Beach Bash and Splash at the BCYF Curley Recreation Center at M Street Beach in South Boston, including

·      BCYF Curley Community Center – South Boston

·      Braintree After School Enrichment – Braintree

·      Castle Square Youth Education Program – South End

·      Curtis Hall Community Center – Jamaica Plain

·      East Boston YMCA – East Boston

·      Greenwood Shalom - Dorchester

·      Home for Little Wanderers – Boston

·      Jackson Mann Summer Program – Brighton

·      South Boston Boys and Girls Club – South Boston

·      Tynan Fun in the Sun – South Boston

It was a perfect day for a beach party.  Temperatures in the 80s, clear skies, clean water, 1200 hot dogs, 1000 bottles of water, and 752 Boston area youth and teens added up to a beautiful day of fun in the sun for everyone.

 

At noon, most of the 752 youth and teens hit the water, making a very big splash.

“It’s great to see so many kids from across the city on the beach and in the water,” said Save the Harbor’s Director of Strategy, Communications and Programs. “What a great way to celebrate the success of the Boston Harbor Clean-up, which has made these beaches among the cleanest urban beaches in America and among the most popular beaches in the region.” 

 Over the course of the day youth and teens engaged in healthy outdoor activities, including swimming, fishing, Frisbee and sports, and enjoyed learning about crabs and lobsters caught and released at the beach. Save the Harbor’s summer artist in residence, Sam Schreiber, helped youth create some spectacular murals and art on the shore.

Save the Harbor’s high school and college youth program staff hosted the celebration, and also gathered several hundred signatures in support of their efforts to get better and more affordable access to the region’s public beaches and the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.

“Kids don’t have cars to get to the beach and many can’t afford to visit the Boston Harbor Islands” said Maxwell Kennedy-Reid, a rising sophomore at Stonehill College, who is helping to organize the petition drive. “A free beach shuttle and discounted fares to the islands would make a big difference to them and to their families.”

So far this year Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s free All Access Boston Harbor program has brought more than 6,000 youth and teens from area community organizations and youth groups on free day trips to the Boston Harbor Islands. The group also serves thousands more youth and teens at 8 program sites around the harbor, and free beach events from Nahant to Nantasket. By summer’s end, these free environmental education programs will have connected 100,000 young people to the Boston Harbor and Boston Harbor Islands since  they began in 2002.

“We are proud of these free programs, which have made us the Boston Harbor Connection for young people and their families,” said Save the Harbor’s President Patricia Foley. "We are also proud to have earned the support of so many of the region’s foundations, businesses and individual donors.”

These free youth environmental education programs are made possible with Leadership Grants from Bay State Cruise Company, Distrigas/GDF SUEZ, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Ludcke Foundation, and the Yawkey Foundation II.

Save the Harbor is grateful for Partnership Grants from Forrest Berkley & Marcie Tyre Berkley, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, The Chiofaro Company, The Fallon Company, Hampshire House Corporation – Cheers for Children, John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., Massachusetts Bay Lines, Massachusetts Port Authority, National Grid Foundation, P&G Gillette, William E & Bertha E. Schrafft Charitable Trust, and the Clinton H. & Wilma T. Shattuck Charitable Trust.

Save the Harbor also appreciates funding support from Lawrence J. & Anne Rubenstein Foundation, Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation, Blue Hills Bank Foundation, Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, Boston Center for Youth and Families, Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Carnival Foundation, Circle Furniture, Clippership Foundation, Department of Conversation and Recreation, Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, HYM Investment Group Inc., Lovett Woodsum Family Foundation, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, South Boston Community Development Foundation, Reebok Foundation, Santander Bank Foundation, Boston Bruins Foundation, Thomas & Lucinda Foley, Red Sox Foundation, TD Charitable Foundation, Goulston & Storrs, BCYF Curley Community Center, Rowan Murphy & Andus Baker, YMCA of Greater Boston, Matthew J. & Gilda F. Strazzula Foundation, Senior Housing Property Trust, P&G Gillette, BOMA, the Baystate Federal Savings Charitable Foundation, Community-Suffolk, Inc., Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, and hundreds of individual donors.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a non-profit, public interest, environmental advocacy organization working to restore and protect Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay.  Each year Save the Harbor/Save the Bay runs free youth environmental education programs that combine recreation and hands-on education to bring the Harbor alive for thousands of Boston area young people. 

To find out more about their free All Access Boston Harbor trips and other free events activities for youth, teens and families, visit their website at http://www.savetheharbor.org, their youth blog “Sea, Sand and Sky” at http://www.blog.savetheharbor.org and their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/savetheharbor

Ode to a Great Summer!

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe I am writing my farewell to the summer blog already. It feels like we just finished orientation not so long a go. When the summer started at Save the Harbor I didn't know what to expect. I was very excited to see what was in store for this summer. Before this program started I couldn't tell the difference between a male/female crab nor identifying a green crab.  I had a lot of firsts this summer. These included first time: to the Harbor Islands, to pick up a lobster trap, to catch a spider crab, and to fish off the Fort Point Channel at the Boston Children's Museum.  I had the opportunity to spend my summer on Boston Harbor.  Now that's how you spend a summer! By summer's end I learned a lot more than just teaching kids how to kick or throw a ball or throw a frisbee.

Along the ride this summer I met so many incredible people. All of the SMEs I worked with this summer were awesome! Not only were they great people but they also gave me lots of laughs along the way.  One of my favorite parts of the summer was being able to work with the various JPAs. I am so proud of them. They all come from different backgrounds.  I was able to learn from them as well. I wish them all the best this year in the new school year. I also wish well all the JPAs that are off to college.  I know they will do great!

The All Access Crew of 2013

Now to my favorite times of the summer. What I enjoyed the most about this summer was having the opportunity to take over 5000 kids out on a boat and spend a day at either Spectacle or Georges Island. I met so many great kids from the various programs throughout the greater Boston area that included our games of kickball with Paige Academy, aka Team Flex, or playing Ultimate Frisbee with the Base Enrichment groups out of Braintree. These are just some of the amazing groups that I was able to meet over the summer.  Not only were all the kids great but I had a phenomenal Senior Staff at All Access. Without Carolyn, Thi,  and David Coffin this program wouldn't be as awesome as it is!  I just want to thank all three of them for all the hard work they did this summer to make sure that All Access was the best it possibly could be.

Save the Harbor staff at Beach Bash 2013

More great times this summer were spent at the various beach events that myself and other staff members participated in. These included helping at Family fun night at Carson Beach bathhouse in South Boston, or introducing  the kids on Wollaston Beach to Larry the Lobster.  The granddaddy event of them all was where every Save the Harbor staffer helped with Beach Bash.  This was where
700 plus kids came together for one big party at the Curley Community center in South Boston

After looking back at all of these great times and events that took place this summer, I can easily say this was an AWESOME SUMMER!  I wish everyone the best and hope to see you next summer at Save the Harbor!

Until Next Summer!

Adios,

Davis

Beach Bash & Splash 2013

- Will Clark

Beach Bash 2013

    Hello everyone! The highlight of my day was face painting different summer camps from all over the Greater Boston. Beach bash was chaotic yet, it was fun. I never face painted before so doing it for the first time was a great experience for me. I don't consider myself an artist but I became very creative when kids were requesting some crazy ideas. Sometimes less is more! I painted simple flowers, butterflies, and painted some cool cartoon characters! Overall, I had a blast at Beach Bash and I enjoyed face painting.

Less is more 

Look at my little creation

Capturing some funny moments!

Good times

- Juelle Benjamin 

It's Time to Party!

It is that time again- imagine a private beach, hundreds of campers, loads of food, and most importantly, TONS and TONS of fun! Save the Harbor Save the Bay hosted their third annual Beach Bash and Splash event!

Kids were able to look at a memorial, head to the touch tank filled with green crabs, and two lobsters, fish, swim, build sand castles, and play sports!

No matter what you chose to partake in, fun was a guarantee. For most of the day, I was by the bay fishing with Tom and Anicia.


Tom, Anicia, and I started off each session separating the kids into two groups- one group of experienced and another group of inexperienced fishers. The inexperienced fishers watched Tom's detailed demonstration, and the rest started fishing. I soon found that I was constantly replacing handles, fixing lines, and untangling lines from the kids whom claimed to have already fished before. The biggest lesson I learned, while fishing with the various groups, was that the kids you should really keep a close eye on were the kids that claimed they were already familiar with fishing.

All in all, I had a fabulous time with everyone, and I am thrilled that everyone enjoyed themselves.

The most important thing was that we were able to put and keep smiles on people's faces.

Thanks :)

Love,

Karrisha Gillespie

Having Fun in the Sun!

Hey Readers,

Today was an amazing day! As my time here at Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay drifts away, the sun seemingly gets more intense! Although working in the scorching sun was difficult, I still had tons of fun. Beach Bash was so hectic; I loved it!There were so many different activities-- my favorite was the Touch Tank!

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

Today was just as fun as Beach Bash! We caught another Spider Crab and about sixty Green Crabs!

Jowell and Hung some crabs

 Although my summer is ending here, I will always remember all the learning and adventures activities I was fortunate to be apart of!

                                                     Peace, Love, and Happiness,

                                                                       Anicia Gillespie

3rd Annual Kids' Beach Bash and Splash EXCITEMENT

Happy Monday Harbor Explorers!  In my last blog post I mentioned that Thursday there was no All Access trip -- normally this would be sad, but instead of journeying to Spectacle Island the entire Save the Harbor/Save the Bay staff convened on M Street Beach in South Boston for the always-exciting KIDS' BEACH BASH AND SPLASH!

The calm before the storm

 By the end of the day, over 700 children and counselors from the Greater Boston area had made it to the BCYF Curley Center for face painting, fishing, swimming and a hot dog lunch.  I was on the welcome committee out front, checking people in and helping groups  that might have gotten a little lost on the way to the beach.  It was really cool to so many groups that have come out on All Access back again for the Bash, and I know the kids all had an amazing time.

Braintree After School Enrichment lining up to splash into M Street Beach

Before rushing into the cool water and making an enormous splash, David Coffin led all the children and staffers in a rousing rendition of "Haul Away Joe" (even though his voice was a little off) and Will Clark joined in with his famous Save the Harbor rap -- I'm sure all the kids were singing it on the bus rides home.

Fresh Prince of Boston Harbor Will Clark on the mic

Another great thing about the Bash is that all of the Save the Harbor staff come together to make this event a success -- the office staff, interns, Senior Marine Educators and the high school summer staff.  With so many sites around Boston, it can be hectic with kids running from one program to another.  I'm always glad that we have one day during the summer to have a big party for ourselves and the children that we serve around Boston, and this year was no exception!  I'm so happy I got to work with these crazy kids!

Lookin' good

-- Carolyn

 

 

Beach Bash and Splash 2013: Kids, Sea Critters and Hot Dogs

In the days leading up to the Beach Bash and Splash, I heard lots of the returning staff members discussing the mental preparations they were doing in anticipation of the event. Phrases I kept hearing were: “over 500 kids,” “limited space,” “we have to serve them lunch,” etc. Needless to say, I was as frightened as I was excited for the day. As it turned out, the Beach Bash and Splash, albeit a hard day of work, was a huge success and a lot of fun! Hundreds of kids from youth groups representing communities throughout the greater Boston area gathered at the Curley Community Center in South Boston for a day of beach games, swimming and lunch. The Save the Harbor staff ran different stations, including: face painting, arts & crafts, fishing, sports and a touch tank.

Warming up with a sea shanty

Along with Nhu and KiKi, I was stationed at the touch tank. Earlier that day, we had made a quick run to McDonough Sailing Center where we caught two lobsters, countless green crabs, red rock crabs, spider crabs, hermit crabs and snails. As a result, we were prepared for the day with two very well stocked touch tanks. With the arrival of the first groups, we immediately saw crowds of kids around our tanks, all shuffling to position themselves to where they could pick up the lobsters and crabs. The kids were all incredibly curious about our sea critters and they came up with a lot of great questions.

Rockin the Touch Tanks

The day ended with a hot dog lunch. It was a controlled chaos as all the kids and their counselors formed two “lines” to receive hot dogs, fruit and veggies. The Save the Harbor staff quickly turned into a bunch of hot dog making machines. From filling trays with buns, grilling, relaying finished hot dogs to the serving tables, handing out hot dogs and applying condiments, it was undoubtedly a team effort. It was probably the most exhausting part of the day and I think I'm probably set on hot dogs for the rest of the year. 

Between picking up lobsters, singing sea shanties and getting their faces painted, I think all of the kids left having had a fun, unique and memorable experience at the beach, and at the end of it all, that’s what the Beach Bash Splash (and Save the Harbor!) is all about.

Putting the splash in Beach Bash and Splash

Until next time,
Sarah C

Beach Bash

Hey Everyone,

What a day we had on Thursday at the Curly Community Center in South Boston as Save the Harbor/Save the Bay held their annual Beach Bash and Splash. There were more than 700 hundred kids from the surrounding youth programs who came for one big summer celebration. The activities included; : fishing, a touch tank with crabs, lobsters, and other marine life,  sports and frisbees, a big fish drawing for the kids to put their name on, face painting, and of course swimming.

As the Beach Bash started I was in charge of running the sports events for the day.  I also made sure each group left with a bunch of STH/STB frisbees.  When it was close to 10 o'clock, the kids began to arrive in bunches. Group after Group arriving meant it was time for the games to begin.

We started off with a gigantic game of wiffle ball. We had kids playing from all the various groups who attended.  Even the staff members from each group joined in the game.

Here is Andy throwing his best pitch

 As the day progressed so did the number of kids who came to join in on our game.

After playing wiffle ball the kids were ready for kickball.   What a game we had going. The kids were diving after balls, sliding into to bases.   For a minute there I thought I was watching the world series of kickball.  I must say the runs sure did pile up in this game. We were way into double figures.   One team even surpassed 20 runs.

After a great game of kickball, we decided to squeeze in one more quick game of wiffle ball before lunch.  Right before lunch we had all the groups gather in front of the STH/STB banner to hear the one and only Will Clark sing the STH/STB Rap.

Along side David Coffin and Bruce Berman Will Clark sings the STH/STB Rap

Now it was time for the annual group swim which could only be lead by one person who was David Coffin.

 Kids running out of the water after the annual group swim

Then once everyone went for a dip in the water it was time for chaos to in sue.

When I say chaos I mean lunch. Just imagine 100s of hungry kids swarming at you at all at once that is one image that is etched in my memory.  After all the hot dogs were consumed and you could finally see the ocean instead of a line with 100s of kids.

Soon  it was time to begin the cleanup. After making sure the beach was cleaner than when we arrived, the groups began to pack up and our fun-filled event was complete.

Thanks to all the awesome staff we who made this event the best Beach Bash ever!
Adios,
Davis

What a Day!

Finally got their attention.

This week Thursday was like no other. All the Save the Harbor staff came to work at 8 AM and started working to get the "2013 Beach Bash and Slash" ready for the kids. We carried out tables, set up the tents, and got the stations ready. Right when it hit 10 AM it was game on! A swam of kids came in and charged at every station they saw. We had face painting, sports and kites, swimming, and a touch tank, which is where I was at. My two goals for the day were: (1) to entertain the kids, and (2) to try to keep the lobsters alive, which was kind of difficult because it was really hot outside. We had to change the water every 45 min, and place some ice bags in the tank to keep the lobsters cool. We actually managed to keep the lobsters alive till the end (thumbs up).

Everyone going in for a swim!

I have never seen so many kids in one place at once, nor have I ever seen so many hot dogs in my life! This event was awesome and it looked like everyone had a great time. Music, sports, free hot dogs, drinks, fruits, and other activities - come on, how could you not have a blast?! All I could say at the end of the event was "What a day!"

Best day ever!!!!

Hey readers! Yesterday I had the great pleasure of manning the touch tank at our annual Beach Bash. It was so much fun. In my tank I had a very large lobster, some green crabs, and a few red rock crabs. Now as some of you may know, I only held a crab once this summer when I was at Family Reading Night. Well, yesterday I picked up so many crabs, I couldn't even count how many. I even held a lobster! Pretty brave, huh? I thought so.

I felt so good about myself after holding the lobster that I even picked it up lots of times throughout the Beach Bash. Needless to say I was feeling pretty accomplished! Since this week was low tide, the beach seemed huge. There were so many people that joined us to celebrate the end of the summer and it was great! 

My favorite part of the event (aside from lunch) was when we all ran into the water at the same time. Our plan was for Bridget to count to 3 and all run in at 3. It was so funny seeing the kids try to run in before Bridget got to 3 on the countdown! It took a few tries but we got it done, all in good fun. My foot got a little cut up but I'm a trooper! I can honestly say that it was close to the most fun I'd ever had. Talk about a dream job!

Storming the beach!

As always - Rebel, be a leader, and stay golden,

Kiauna Peete

Beach Bash

Hi everybody. Guess what time it is?

It is beach bash time! We got our Save the Harbor/Save the Bay spirit ready for the beach bash. There were over 750 kids at Curly Community Center. I have made 10 friends at the beach and I was playing with them and they were talking to me about what they're going to do when they grow up. Also they mentioned their favorite sea animals. Peter, one of the kids, told me that by time he is going to be a grown up there will be one more planet that robots will be living on and he will be the first to discover it. I showed them how to hold crabs and Larry the lobster, one of the kids even called me the master.

happy time on the beach.

  Then, they wanted to go swimming with me but I couldn't. I felt very sad because I couldn't swim with them. Bruce wanted me and Thi to do the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay logo in the sand. We make a big group next to Bruce because David and him were talking about the history of the Harbor and Will was singing.

we are Save the Harbor and Save the bay.

Finally, food and drink were served to everybody. I was in charge of the water, I gave everybody water to stay hydrated because it was so hot.

I am serving water and most of the water are almost done.

At the end of the day, I wish the day would never end and the kids will stay forever with me. even though I couldn't swim, I still loved every minute of the Beach Bash and Splash.

-See you next time
                         
                                             Myriam.

A Great Summer Coming To An End

It's been a fantastic summer so far i have to say. I really wish i could stay, but back to school it is for me now.

Beach Bash 2012

Every summer I learn more and more and experience new things working for Save The Harbor/Save The Bay. I'm proud I have been part of Summer Staff for the last four summers. It's such a great opportunity to have a job like this.        


I'm also very excited for one of the biggest and funnest days of the summer. It's our annual Beach Bash and Splash tomorrow at the M Street beach in South Boston. At the most, we usually get up too about 300-400 kids. We have different stations set up for the kids from arts and crafts to sports. We also provide free food for everyone, too. Overall it's a crazy fun day, and I know I'm going to have lots of fun. Hope to see you there.

Beach Bash 2012

Live, Love, Laugh

Mark Rose

WE LIKE TO PARTY !

     Hey guys, what's up ? On Friday my team and I  threw an annual beach party in South Boston for nearly over 600 kids. Isn't that unbelievable ? We had fun activities for children to participate in and interact with us. There was a sports station, arts, sand castle , fishing , kites and as well as exploring what Save The Harbor/Save The Bay. It was very touching to see over 600 kids actually enjoy themselves and have such a great time with Save The Harbor/Save The Bay! The children were so fascinated by all the buckets and shovels for building sand castles! They were so excited to create their own since they have imaginations. The beach bash was such a blast and definitely turned out to be an awesome event. I really love to see kids enjoy themselves !

Juelle Benjamin

Party over here!

           Some would think throwing a beach party is already hard enough but how about a beach party with nearly 700 kids.The party was a lot of fun, I directed the sports section along with Anthony, Leon, and Andrew. It was a lot of fun and something new because I met a lot kids I didn't meet before and a few that I met the day prior to the party. Most of the kids from All Access and I even met some kids from Winthrop who I taught to swim and a lot from the East Boston YMCA. The highlight of my day was when Alie called Candido, Vinh, and I a fish. It was funny because the children could go out into the water only until their belly button while I stand 6'4 and I was no where near the sand in the water. Candido is a true force of nature he can  backstroke for however long and anywhere in the water while I just did my signature shredding of the water.

Serving the food most have been the hardest part of the day. Me and Will gave out so much cold water that we had no feeling in our hands for a good 35 minutes. It was upsetting telling the kids that they couldn't have a drink until they had a hotdog. After I regained feeling in my hands I ate and enjoyed the rest of the day. It was a lot of fun.

-Ahmed Hassan