Open any newspaper today and you’re likely to see at least a couple stories about local teens getting into some kind of trouble—accidents caused by joy-riding, arson fires, stolen vehicles … It can make you think that’s all that’s happening with today’s youth. So what a breath of fresh air it is to hear about other young people today who are making a huge difference not only in their own lives and the lives of their neighbors, but also in the lives of people half way around the world. Last August, fifty youth and young adults from the Archdiocese of Regina Leadership Teams travelled to the Phillipines on a mission trip to build homes. While there, they visited a couple of local orphanages and came away touched and wanting to help. So this year, they, along with other members of the Leadership Teams, decided to send a large portion of the funds raised from their annual Variety Night back to these orphanages, with the rest going to a local soup kitchen.
And what a production this Variety Night turned out to be! Months of practices and countless hours of organizing by these young people culminated in a high quality event. Held over 4 evenings, attended by over 900 people, the two hour “On the Road Again” was a musical journey through Disneyland, New York, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Nashville and included singing, dancing, black light puppetry, and much more. Audiences were treated to acts as varied as Broadway shows to a Mardi Gras parade. All amateur, all local, but absolutely incredible talent! So next time I’m tempted to despair that today’s youth are going nowhere, I will remember these dedicated young people who gave so fully of themselves to help out not only a local charity but children half way across the world.
