Volunteer Spotlight - Winter 2020

Volunteer Names: Keisha & Lauren Bickham (and David Bickham)

Volunteering with Candlelighters Since: 2018

Volunteer Projects This Winter Have Included: Thanksgiving Meal Delivery, 12 Days of Cheer, Holiday Gift Wrapping for Adopt a Family

Prior to this Winter: Teen Scene Deliveries & Creative Expressions Deliveries, Superhero 5k

Share a meaningful memory from volunteering: Our very first volunteering activity when moving to Las Vegas in 2018 was the Candlelighter’s Superhero 5k. I woke Lauren and David (then 14 and 10 years old) up at 3:00 am to drive to the site of the race. It was still pitch black and I was given the task to deliver ice to the stations via a golf cart. I didn’t bother to mention I’d never driven a golf cart before, nonetheless in the dark! We made it work though and the kids prevented me from driving off a ledge. As the morning continued and more volunteers arrived, we split up, working different areas of the event. My son found a family of boys his age. That crew, full of energy, hauled water and snacks to race checkpoints, riding on the back of go-carts and trucks. Lauren headed to the Project Imagine arts booth where she met her classmate and they helped young people create crafts and paint during the event. Afterward, you would have never known we’d put in nearly 9 hours of volunteering. The kids were still full of energy! We cannot wait for conditions to allow us to once again support the Superhero 5k in person.

Why did you choose Candlelighters as an organization to volunteer for? Lauren and I have always had an affinity for children and can empathize with families going through challenging times. In 2020, Candlelighters offered an opportunity to volunteer despite the limitations of COVID-19. I am also a healthcare administrator and can understand the needs of families when dealing with medical situations. Parents have enough to deal with in supporting their child, we feel our volunteering can help for at least a moment, for them to not have to worry about the basics and hopefully deliver a surprise to the benefitting young person.