The most important part of today was realizing that service, regardless of its magnitude, is significant. This piece of knowledge may seem irrelevant in the face of our most important life decisions but it was all but inconsequential to me. Growing up in a community where the relevance of the service was directly linked to its impact left me with the opinion that the small things didn't matter.

Today I learned that affecting people on an individual level in many ways is just as necessary as helping on a massive scale. Seeing the smiles, relieving thanks and seeing them react to the slight improvements in their days has done more for my outlook on philanthropy than years of volunteering has.

The inspiration and passion with which the organizers fundraised and celebrated was amazing.

Kevin Pierre Louis