Service learning activity Essays

Service learning activity Essays Service learning activity Essay Service learning activity Essay The United States Air Force holds an annual marathon that was first established in September 20, 1997 and has been held annually ever since on the first Saturday nearest to the date of establishment of the US Air Force which is on September 18, 1974.   The USAF holds the race to commemorate its years of aviation achievements, developments, and services.   It is held at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio every year.   It is a large scale race where the participants come from all over the world.   The race includes a half marathon, a wheelchair race for the disabled and a four-person relay race where four persons run as a team to finish the race.   Although no prize money is given to the winners, the USAF gives customized medals as well as a few other goodies to the finishers and well crafted trophies and plaques for the placers.This year, the event was held last September 15.   It was attended by famous champion runners Dick Beardsl ey and Alberto Salazar.   The 2002 Bill Bowerman Coaching Award Recipient Bill Squires was also there.   However, the marathon is limitedly sponsored thus the need for volunteers to help organize the events and give support to the runners.   As a student, to volunteer for the USAF marathon is a great experience.   From the view of a volunteer hydration station worker, as well as a stand up and clean up crew of the race, the experience of watching experienced runners is surely overwhelming.The student was assigned at hydration station number six, a station roughly 6.5 miles away from the start/finish line and just a mile or so away from the half-marathon turning point. It is also just north of the Nutter Center.   It is supervised by the Wright State University.   Hydration station number six is one of the most significant stations.   It is located at a point in the course map where it would be passed by the finishers at the end of the race. Its significance to the race is due to the â€Å"mortality rate† of the finishers.   In this race, only 1,604 among the thousands of registered participants finished the race.From the station’s location, the student could witness all possible views that could be observed from the marathon.   The placers and all the finishers pass through station six to reach the finish line.   The volunteers for this station are part of those people that are last to leave their station.   The work for the volunteers of station six is tiresome.   Not only do you need to stay there until the signal that all the runners have all arrived safely has been given but volunteers also need to be constantly alert to give the racers hydration and food to help them finish the race and keep them supported.The presence of volunteers in big events like this greatly affects the whole event’s possible outcomes.   The more volunteers that are present, the more man power is available at times of emergency.   Als o, the clean up and preparation of the event becomes easier when there is more man power.   Besides the cleaning, setting up, and other works of volunteers, the event’s organizers also benefit financially when there are volunteers.   More volunteers mean less people to hire for specific works.   Instead of hiring mass numbers of workers, the organizers only need to hire some workers to do some specific jobs that volunteers cannot do.   Other costs that are cut because of volunteer presence are of transport, medical, and marshal services.The organizers are not the only one’s that benefit from events like this.   Volunteers gain experience on how to help in marathons, learn first aid, experience work, and understand how marathons and other related events function and work.   Also, by observing the participants, a lot of other things could be learned.   The physical reaction and health condition of one’s body to certain, if not extreme, conditions of running is one.   Another would be the strategies that a champion runner uses in winning the race.   These and more other things could be learned by volunteering.The experience of being a volunteer is tiring but it is also enjoyable and heart-warming.   Being able to help other people at their times of need, in this case of water and food throughout the race, is a heart-warming and self-fulfilling experience.   The view is good, because USAF planes are passing over you every now and then, which makes it a worthwhile experience.   The experience of being a volunteer for the USAF marathon can be scaled in a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest; the experience would land on 4.   Over all, the experience of being a volunteer in the September 15, 2007 USAF marathon is an enjoyable, if not overwhelming, very good experience.