Marion Kimble
The rainy skies of the previous night cleared as Pierce College’s Shepard Stadium was transformed into a carnival-style playground Sunday for the foster children of Los Angeles in the ninth annual Day of the Child. From two Ferris wheels to food, everything was provided to the mentors and children free of charge. The children had the opportunity to spend the day with people who hoped to make a difference. More than 1,800 mentors showed up to support the 1,500 children who came to enjoy the day.One of these children was Elizabeth, an 8-year-old girl just like any other. The difference is that Elizabeth and two of her seven siblings live in a foster home. Whatever may go on in Elizabeth’s life, on Sunday her mentors Lauren Henderson, 26, and Kimberly Garrett, 27, were there to focus on one thing and one thing only: her happiness.An overwhelming turnout of mentors lead to the triple team formed by Elizabeth, Garrett, and Henderson.”Overall, the day is a 10!” Garrett proclaimed with an explosion of joy. “There are lots of fun little things here to do.” Elizabeth agreed, she was there “for fun.”A chef and freelance food columnist, Garrett knows food, and by extension has an understanding of some of the things that make children happy.”I take any chance to be around kids,” she said.”We went on the swing, got snow cones, danced. Well, [Elizabeth] didn’t really dance. We danced in a circle around her,” Garrett continued. Henderson, a dental hygienist, often does volunteer work with children. “Kimberly told me there was a charity event and I said yeah, it might be fun,” she said”I want to know one thing,” Henderson continued. “Why can’t adults get their faces painted?”After some investigation, the group found that Elizabeth’s painting talents were the key to a colorful disposition.”This is more fun than chocolate ice cream!” Henderson squealed, as Elizabeth’s tiny hands deftly painted a yellow daisy on Henderson’s cheek.Henderson then returned the favor by transforming Elizabeth’s face into that of a smiling kitten.”She’s becoming one of us!” Garrett joked, as Elizabeth admired Henderson’s handiwork in a pocket vanity mirror. For Elizabeth, the day was all about the fun. From friendly face painting to frosty flavored ice, Elizabeth’s giggles were proof of a job well done.”We are completely considering becoming full-time mentors to Elizabeth,” said Garrett. “Maybe Lauren and I will both become her mentors.”Children all over the country are faced with struggles that may manipulate their futures, but with the ninth annual Day of the Child event at Pierce, there is a chance that the lives of those who attended could be “changed for the better,” organizers said.Where they go to school, where they grow up, lack of interaction with their parents; there are countless factors outside of a child’s control that may make it difficult for them to live a normal, happy life. Children Uniting Nations is an organization that aims to minimize these factors and give less fortunate children a fighting chance. One way they do this is by pairing children with mentors. Some of these pairings become long-term relationships, while others are just for a day. Day of the Child is one event that creates these pairings.Day of the Child is a full-day event, where children from various organizations are paired with mentors, people from the community that volunteer to spend time with them, and given a day of completely free fun.