Four years ago, when Miss Jen spoke about this idea of creating an organization called Playing For Others, I was SO excited to jump on board. It was an opportunity for me to do the things I love to do- stay active in the arts, and create a positive change in the community. What is awesome about PFO is that it has become so much more than this. For example, PFO is a business, a teen-led non-profit with committees and corporate sponsors and Auctions and Publicity and all that jazz- I can honestly say I never even knew what an in-kind donation was before I joined PFO. PFO is also an outlet for teens with passion for the arts. I love and appreciate Art, Music, and Theater even more. PFO taught me to branch out to other arts too. I never thought I could master the bass guitar in only one week for the Music Experience Performance. However, my favorite part of PFO is the buddy program. I have grown more from the PFO buddy experience than I could have imagined- my buddies have inspired me, motivated me, and taught me about all the joys in life that I had started to overlook during my teen years. One of my favorite moments in PFO was when I was jumping through rain puddles with my buddy Emma on the way home from a performance, and she stopped to kiss my cheek and give me a hug, then kept on jumping and giggling by my side. These moments I have spent with my buddies are precious and may have made a permanent impact in their lives, but have impacted my life even more.
What I love about PFO is that the boundary between the “abled” and the “disabled” doesn’t exist there, a child is a child, and everyone just feels loved. PFO has given me this gift to take with me throughout the my life celebrating the importance of social justice and the ability to focus on what a person can do instead of what he/she can not do. I am a better person from the gift of love I have received from my buddies and from the amazing teens who are a part of this incredible organization. The legacy of PFO will live on him my heart forever, and I hope my life will measure up to what I have learned there.
