BY HIROTO WATANABE
PALS Volunteer & Guest Blogger
For PALS Spring Virtual Programs, we enjoyed 2-hour Zoom sessions on adjacent Saturday afternoons, with 1-hour sessions throughout the week in the evenings. Even before we started the week, campers and counselors connected to get to know each other on their own. I found this to be a great way to learn about my partner, Cody. I looked forward to each evening with PALS because it was a great way for me to unwind after a long day of work. The typical virtual camp day started by meeting with our team to do a warmup activity like “Would you rather?” or “What would you do with a million dollars?” Then, we would get instructions with everyone to start the main activity. Depending on what the main activity of the day was, we sometimes reconvened in team breakout rooms to complete the activity. We always finished the session by saying goodbye to our team.
Hands down, my favorite activity was choreographing a dance to Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen with my team, Team 7 Up. I also loved watching other teams perform, and I was impressed by everyone’s creativity to have such fun and lively performances with people they had just met. Team 7 Up was always energetic and engaging. Time allocated for small group activities really allowed us to get to know each other and our Head Counselor, Monica, was an amazing moderator who made sure everyone was involved.
Team 7 Up told lots of jokes and had great conversations. Some of our comments served as great reminders for why Camp PALS and our goal of creating inclusive environments is so important. Cody spoke frequently about how he wants to get a girlfriend. While he did so in a joking way most of the time, it is a sentiment to how dating is particularly difficult for people with Down Syndrome. During the game “I like, I wish, I wonder,” my teammate Chris, an actor, wished for more inclusive casts on Superhero TV shows. Michael, on the other hand, wished for a blue Jeep. Whether when watching TV shows that have inclusive casts, owning a dream car, or finding love, people with Down Syndrome have goals to which we can all relate.
Virtual programming has created an opportunity for us to connect in unique ways. In fact, my favorite moment in this week of PALS happened apart from the group. During an aquarium visit, I called Cody via FaceTime whenever I reached a new exhibit. Highlights from his virtual tour included seeing penguins, sea lions, and a 95-year-old loggerhead turtle. Cody returned the favor shortly after, video calling myself during a nature walk near his house. Although we would have seen the sights together, in person, these curated virtual tours we set up for one another helped us to connect one-on-one.
This was my second time volunteering as a counselor with PALS and I am looking forward to joining PALS this summer for the virtual program or Boston program!
