On Saturday, March 4, 2023, Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) students, parents and teachers of the Sri Sathya Sai Center of North Houston, spent an invigorating day out in the sun as they walked for a good cause – raising cans of food for a local shelter. About 21 participants, mostly SSE children of all age groups, walked around the beautiful Kickerillo Mischer Preserve, an 80-acre preserve that features a lake, fishing piers, a canoe launch and paved trails. Cheered on and accompanied by their teachers and parents, they walked the 1.7 mile trail, and some even completed a second lap. At the end, they earned cans donated by the adults, which were then transported to a local shelter.

Altogether about 150 cans were collected and donated. The SSE children were also rewarded with juice, snacks and other refreshments at the end of each lap and a stamp on their hand to indicate they had completed their trail. Younger children were not daunted by the challenge and gamely rode their and bikes and scooters to keep up with their older peers. A couple of grandparents were present, and the children learnt to serve their grandparents with love, patience and great care as they walked with their families.

The walk was followed by an Easter Egg hunt, with a twist. Instead of containing a piece of candy, each egg had an insightful quote. After the hunt, the children and their teacher discussed the quotes they had found inside the eggs, their meaning as well as how they could be applied on a daily basis. The Easter egg hunt turned out to be a meaningful learning activity for the children. The entire event ended with some family bonding time over delicious pizza.

The entire day’s activity was truly fun for the SSE children and their families. The lethargy of the winter was shaken off and the freshness of Spring embraced, as they enjoyed time outdoors in nature together as a family. The fun event proved that family bonding, being outdoors in nature, engaging in healthy physical exercise and giving back to community could all be achieved in one wonderful Sai event.