My Sony Camp Speech

I doubt I'll actually get to say this on assembly, but I sincerely hope I do.
This is my version of the Sony Camp speech, and I thought I'd share it with you.

Corny as it may sound; 5 years ago I sat where you were sitting, watching the seniors get up and talk about this Sony camp thing and wondering what on earth it was. It wasn’t until the video started that I was captivated. Seeing these girls spending 4 days with these kids, taking them swimming and to movie world and all the rest was just so exciting and I knew then that I wanted that to be me when I was in year 12. And so when the time came for applications, I put my name down and we all went through the process of interviews and selections. When I got the letter saying I was in, words cannot describe my happiness.

So then the day arrived for us to go to Marist to get ready for our children to arrive. When Renata and my child, Ebony arrived we were so excited. We got everything unpacked and started to get to know each other. Ebony loved to talk and ask questions, so there was never a silent moment in our dorm. Ebony was also overjoyed to find that her best friend from school, Erin was also attending the camp, and our lives soon became centred around Erin, with Ebony always asking in her cute little voice ‘where Erin?’. After dinner it was time for T-shirt painting which is always a fun and messy activity. Our first night was better than most others, with Ebony going straight to sleep. After Ebony’s constant refrain of ‘pool tomorrow?’ the time finally came to put on our togs and set out for the Albany Creek Leisure centre. Ebony loved to swim so we had a lot of fun, and all the other children did too, especially Isabella, who Ebony called Ella Bella, who spent the whole time splashing her buddies with water.

After the pool and a lunch break, we all set off to the city to go on a river cruise. The cruise was enjoyed by some and not so much by others; we had a ‘green-faced club’ sitting outside in the fresh air, while the rest of us sat either inside or on the deck enjoying the views. Tired levels increasing, it was a long bus ride home with one of the other children Daniel providing in-bus entertainment on the way home. After another messy dinner it was time for entertainment night with musical instruments and music, but Ebony was too tired so we put her to bed. After all the children were asleep, it was time for the infamous ‘debrief’, which soon became dubbed the ‘cry sesh’. This was a good opportunity each night to let each other know how we were all coping with our children, as well as share any particularly special or difficult experiences of the day. This allowed us all the chance to know exactly where we all needed help or assistance and it was a great bonding time for us companions.

Day three brought movie world. Up until Sunday morning we weren’t allowed to tell the children that we were going to movie world in case we got rained out, but when we told them the excitement levels were off the scale. After a long bus ride full of questions about the day’s activities we finally arrived. The children’s faces that day made up for all the lost sleep and stress, and Reni and I experienced Ebony’s first REAL smile on the tweety-bird ride, as her and Catrin we having the time of their lives. After lunch and a train ride, it was time to get back on the bus and go back to Marist for our last night. After dinner it was time for a mass which ran surprisingly smoothly, with the only talkers being Chris telling us about his allergies to cats in the middle of the prayers of intercession. The children went to bed and we had another debrief, before we all fell asleep and woke to our last day at Sony Camp.

After breakfast it was time for games in the hall, which included musical statues, ball games, a conga line and face painting. An appearance from the local firemen meant that the kids had a go at holding a hose, sitting in the truck and getting plenty of stickers. After lunch it was time to pack up and get ready for the party, where everyone’s parents came to pick up the kids and mingle for a few hours. We had a show from Peebo and Dagwood the clowns and the parents were able to see the video that was put together by some of the Marist boys. After that it was time for some very teary goodbye’s as we sent our children on their way. after a final debrief it was time for us to all go home and get some much needed sleep.

All in all the Sony camp experience was amazing. It is now just a memory, but those memories were what made the experience. Though we were tired beyond words, there were moments that made it COMPLETELY worthwhile, like Hugh’s Shrek ears, Emily’s love for hand dryers, Mikayla doing wheelies, Brendon, who was blind, saying that he too couldn’t see the lost hat, Zoe’s cars, Isabella’s beads and Maisy, Daniel’s daily career changes, Chris’ love of Miley Cyrus, Tallis in his cute blue hoodie, or Richard’s amazing ability to find a packet of wheelies wherever he went. It is these memories that pulled us through, and it is these memories that will be unforgettable about our Sony Camp experience.