Discovering the Lotus Flowers and Andy's Art Show

Written by Rocky Xu Cheng

Publish Date: July 23, 2023

The July 22nd event at Cullinan Park was a combination of what was essentially three different parts. The first was Andy’s Art Show, meant to celebrate the artistic talents of Andy, a long-term participant of Blossoming In Nature who was about to move away to a different State. The second was Ann’s announcement, which marked the culmination of her years of hard work to get admitted into college. The third was the hike itself, a calm stroll in the shade of gigantic oak trees ending in a scenic viewing platform that extended into a lake filled with water lilies.

Starting in a record heat of 101° F, fans and water had to be immediately brought up to cool the volunteers as we set up the tables and grills. Heating up the charcoal was no easy task, as the combination of wind and heat exacerbated the uncomfortable caused by the smoke. When we started grilling, a light, smoky fog had formed above the parking lot.

Setting up the artwork was similarly no easy task, and fitting fifty pieces on the park’s bulletin board took a while to complete. Seeking to cause minimal damage to the wooden board, we used rope and clothing hangers to suspend the artwork over the ground. The colors of the rope and hangers matched their wooden background and perfectly highlighted the bright colors of Andy’s works.

After all of the participants had arrived and finished eating the freshly grilled hotdogs and chicken wings, we all gathered next to the art display. After a brief introduction, Ann gave a wonderful speech summarizing the challenges she had to overcome and the people who had helped her along her journey to college. This was followed up by Andy arriving at the Park and receiving a standing ovation for his beautiful works of art.

The happy mood continued throughout the duration of the hike, with everyone toughing out the heat and rough terrain. In the middle of the hike, we stopped at a giant oak tree and took a group photo, gathering close together to symbolize our strong bond and shared memories.

As we finished the hike and reached the viewing platform, the serenity of the lake filled with water lilies greeted us like a soothing balm. Although many of the lilies had wilted due to either disease or heat, maybe a combination of both, their beauty still remained. The shimmering light of the setting sun danced on the water's surface, creating a mesmerizing display of colors. It was a picture-perfect ending for the day’s trip, and we couldn't resist taking more photos to capture the natural beauty around us.

Photo by Maxwell's Grandmother

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, Yuyang Cao, Fei Feng, Owen Ge, Kunsh Kalra, Chaoyan Li, Eric Liu, Yifan Wu, Justin Xu, Grady Zheng for volunteering at the event and making the experience for every participant even better.