Banquet Speech: Parker Thurston

First off, I want to say congratulations to everyone sitting here right now. I know how hard it is to give up some weekend time for volunteering or meetings, but everyone here was dedicated enough to get out of bed or put down the Xbox controller to do something that is really special. This organization is one like no other and we all are blessed to be a part of it. The uniqueness of making lifelong friends and memories while doing something good for the community is incredible to say the least. I think more people should do volunteering as an experience. It is challenging, it takes hard work, dedication, and passion to do something like that. 

Volunteering is also a really good eye opener. Especially in Fort Collins, you don’t really see how bad people are forced to live and how much help they really need. In YMSL not only are you able to see, but help, the people that are less fortunate than us. Really, there are people out there whose conditions are way beyond our heads. We are so lucky to be this fortunate and live this well, but we help. We don’t stand by we go in and we help. This might sound cheesy, but it all pays off for me to see the smiles on their faces. 

I was volunteering at Project Self Sufficiency and we started helping the balloon guy do his thing and draw faces on the balloon animals and all that, but when we started handing those balloons out the children's faces just lit up. It made me so happy to think that something so simple could make someone’s day. That’s the real beauty of volunteering right there is that simple things can be just as powerful as the bigger things. 

I also did the Honor Flight For Veterans and we went there and held signs to tell them how much we appreciate them. That was it. The real heart comes from taking that time out of your day to make those people feel good. That’s what we accomplished. One last example, we did A Night to Shine. What an experience. We went to do paparazzi, but as the job became crowded, we went to cheer them on a karaoke and help them at the photo booth. We weren’t building stuff and grinding all day for a big product. We were just there kind of floating and cheering and generally being nice, but it was because we were all there that we made a night just for them and that they got to enjoy. 

What I want everyone to take out of YMSL is the teamwork and dedication that we use so we can make other people’s lives better while spending time with our amazing moms. Speaking of which I want to recognize all the moms on the Banquet Committee and the ones that help us with meetings and philanthropy. You guys work just as hard as we do and we all appreciate your work to help YMSL run as smoothly as it does. This organization is full of greatness and the fact that it is spreading across the nation and more people are helping others is amazing and I can’t wait to see you all next year so we can continue that greatness.