Involvement Project "Another Day in the Life of a SuperHero"

They can be seen in comic books, movies and television shows. They have the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, use their super human strength and enhanced senses to test danger, and some can even fly through the air. This is the description of the average comic book hero. But the thing is, these heroes are far from average. They have the characteristics that every kid dreams of having. These Superheroes are known for their strong moral code, their willingness to risk ones own safety in service without the expectation of a reward and a strong motivation with a sense of responsibility. Many Superheroes have other aspects of individuality such as a secret identity, a supporting cast and an origin story. The supporting cast are those around them that give aid and make what they do happen. The origin story describes the circumstances in which the Superhero acquired his or her abilities and their motivation for becoming a Superhero. One of the unique things about Superheroes is that they do not have to be fictional characters. This fact was proven by an elite group of students at Central High School known as the National Honor Society. Like any other Superhero, we have our own origin story. We motivate ourselves by showing achievement through scholarship, leadership, service and character. As members of the National Honor Society, we were involved in a project that would benefit the children under the care of the foster care system of Phenix City. During the month of September our Club was contacted concerning the planning of a Halloween Carnival. Just as any other Superhero, we began to formulate a plan to execute the mission we had been given. The National Honor Society set up the games and had more food and candy than any kid could imagine. Through all of this meticulous preparation, we were finally ready to carry out our secret plan. The Carnival took place on October 31, 2007. Nearly thirty children of the foster care system were in attendance along with their brothers, sisters and friends. The children were asked to dress in costumes so they could pretend to be Superheroes. They also took part in many other games such as a beanbag toss, Halloween bingo, face painting, ghost hunting and "wrapping the mummy," where the children wrapped each other in toliet paper. This activity gave these special children the opportunity to win prizes and other goodies. The Carnival gave the children a safe environment in which they could participate in the Halloween festivities without the risk of encountering any villians. A few days later, a call was received at the Superhero headquarters to ask if our group could do a Christmas Carnival Carnival, since the Halloween Carnival proved to be such a success. Our Club, of course agreed, and was given a list of 108 names of children that would be in attendance for the party. We Superheroes were asked to purchase a Christmas present for each child to open at the event. in order to ensure that the job would be done, we would need to call in reinforcements. We united forces of the BETA Club, FOCUS Club and our Culinary Arts Program from our school. We also received outside help from Summerville Baptist Church Co Ed 3 Sunday School Class and Jeff Weaver Photography. The groups worked side by side to create the perfect holiday party. For weeks on end students brought in gift after gift. There were radio control cars, dolls, blocks, puzzles, gift cards, and the list goes on and on. When all of the presents had been collected, members from all of the clubs got together and had a wrapping party. December 17th finally arrived and the Central High Superheroes came out in full force. At the party, there wer hot dogs, chips, drinks and dozens of cookies prepared by our Culinary Arts Program. Each child had their picture taken in front of the Christmas tree so that they could make an ornament to hang on their own tree. Each child also got a special visit from the head Superhero himself, Santa Claus, who distributed the toys to each boy and girl. We received our greatest satisfaction when we saw each child leave with a smile on their face. The thing that set this group of Superheroes apart from everyone else is that these heroes did not carry out these events for recognition, but as an act of knidness and wanting to help others. We did not expect anything in return and expressed great humility concerning the good of the group. This is what truly makes us Superheroes. As you can see, we Superheroes went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that someone, somewhere was given another reason to smile. We are the Superheroes that do not need special powers to show what we are capable of. We have the ability to display these qualities on our own by showing love and kindness to someone other than ourselves, just as a true Superhero would.