Back-to-School Hiking

Written by Rocky Xu Cheng

Published Date: August 13, 2023

With 80 people in attendance, our August 12th Back-to-School Hike at Freedom Park was our largest event to date. The volunteers and special families arrived in waves, and by 5:20pm, cars filled nearly half of the giant parking lot at Freedom Park. As we had decided to picnic next to a riverbend near the middle of the hike, the supplies we brought filled three carts to the brim, and we had to assign some volunteers to ensure the carts would stay steady on the rough trail through the woods. After we matched the special children to their volunteers and the majority of the participants had arrived, we began to hike toward the trail’s entrance.

The 300-meter hike to the beginning of the trail was the hardest and hottest part of the event; walking in the blistering 103° heat on hard concrete and with no shady cover tested the resolve of all the special children and volunteers. As soon as we reached the grassy trailhead covered in shade, it felt as if a collective sigh of relief swept through the group.

The trail leading into the forest was open to the sky, and as the wind picked up, the reeds and grasses that lined the sides of the trail started to sway in response. The bright flowers and lush vegetation grew denser and denser as we ventured closer to the line of trees, until suddenly, with a sharp turn, the flowers disappeared, and the trail led us into the heart of the forest.

The atmosphere changed instantly; the sunny, lighthearted trail turned dark and mysterious as the trees blocked out most of the light. Webs of orb weaver spiders filled in the gaps between the trees; some were abandoned, while others were still inhabited by their eight-limbed creators. The branches of the ancient trees, seemingly as old as the forest itself, were twisted in strange shapes.

All this vanished as suddenly as it had appeared when the forest opened up to reveal a river of glistening tranquility. White storks lined the edges of the water, and black vultures circled in the sky as we set up the picnic of chicken wings and pizza. Everyone was parched, and they rushed to grab bottles of cold water and plates of fresh food. After enjoying dinner and resting for a while, we began the journey back.

By the time we returned to the parking lot, the sun was already disappearing behind the trees. We said our goodbyes, packed our belongings and returned home. Ultimately, this event that marked the end of summer taught us many crucial lessons, including the need to accommodate late arrivals, the need for more robust signup infrastructure, and the need for greater contingency planning.

Thanks to the ten families with special needs attending the event. The event can only be successful with your trust.

Special thanks to Vivek Alladi, Elena Alsup, Yuyang Cao, Haofei Deng, Stephanie Dong, Gena Gao, Gene Gao, Owen Ge, Catherine He, Kunsh Kalra, Philip Ndiokho, Jeffery Qu, Yifan Wu, Maegann Yniguez, Grady Zheng for volunteering at the event and making the experience for every participant even better.