October 9, 2021. The annual Discovery Day for Lexington citizens has started up once again! Although there was no celebration because of the pandemic last year, the event was very much revitalized! The weather was perfect. Booths and tents lined the sides of Lexington center, filled with advertising material, candies, games, and prizes to attract visitors. One of these tents belonged to CALex, a non-profit Chinese American organization. It was set up in an extremely popular place, right in front of the depot square, next to the eating area, and across from the stage. In the morning, a small band of saxophones and a piano started playing jazz music in the background. A crowd gathered in the middle of the street, enraptured by the music. After they left, a group of middle and high schoolers wearing colonial costumes and playing piccolo performed nearby, and a rock band with guitars and singers started to play on stage around 1:00 pm. With all these attractions nearby, many people eagerly stopped by the CALex booth and participated in the activities. Other friends casually stopped by to talk or take pictures in front of the tent.
Mostly, the booth was filled with volunteers from the LexYouth program, which offers volunteer work and free tutoring classes for kids. Those that join can be either teachers or students, helping high schoolers contribute to their community by teaching their knowledge or helping smaller children to learn. Some of the volunteers today went on the streets carrying flyers, balloons, or candy to advertise, while others stayed at the booth to help with many other activities. The children really loved trying to write out the foreign strokes of Chinese calligraphy and folding origami. Some people tried a game with chopsticks, where smaller children had to try picking up objects of different shapes and sizes with a pair of chopsticks, laughing when they finally picked one up. Chess matches were also set up all around the booth to demonstrate what a tutoring session may look like. Several of the volunteers stationed there were advanced chess players, to the point that they tutor chess classes. Many people lined up for a match, eager to get tips in their playing and improve their skills. Generally, there was a constant flow of people around the booth, and the children were very satisfied with the activities provided. Many ran over with smiles on their faces, dragging their parents along to grab candy or stand in line to try out an activity. The parents also expressed their strong interest in the program, asking for portfolios and scanning the QR codes provided to join the LexYouth program. Around 1:30 pm, 9-year old Sophia Shao set up her guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument, to play in front of our booth to promote the Chinese culture and community. It was such a highlight of the day- she played it beautifully and elegantly, and many people were drawn to the foreign Chinese music that flowed out of the instrument.
So many people stopped by the CALex booth today, thanks to the efforts of many Chinese American parents and LexYouth volunteers. To prepare for this event, many of the middle and high schoolers in the LexYouth program also helped make lanyards to distribute to the smaller children there today. They were meant to secure the masks around their necks whenever they wanted to take their masks off. Many parents were very impressed by the amount of work they put in. It was definitely the group community effort that made the booth as popular as it was today! Thank you to all that made it possible.
By: Athena Wang