Service Day 1 - Emily Couric Cancer Center

Today was the first service day where we got to experience the reason we are doing this bike ride across America. At 9am, we arrived to the cancer center at UVA and listened to some opening introductions about the center, staff, and patients. We brought chemo care bags, filled with assorted things like back scratchers, fuzzy socks, books, etc. and gave them to some of the staff to eventually give to the patients. We were then split into smaller groups and assigned various projects throughout, from putting together pamphlets about coping with cancer, going around and talking to some patients, and many other things. I was in a group with Harshini and AK and we were in charge of a bringing a cart with lemonade, tea, and pastries around the different waiting rooms. It was actually a lot of fun and very similar to when I worked at Starbucks, as far as the offering tea and pastries. It was nice to go around and talk to all the patients and families and hear their stories, along with sharing ours and telling them about our ride and what we're doing. I actually met a man that had overcome cancer and raced in the Half Full triathlon this past fall (the same one that our collegiate triathlon team raced in for our conference.) He said he plans on doing the Beach to Battleship Half Ironman that I am also interested in racing. Everyone really seemed to appreciate us bringing around the cart even if it was just light refreshments as they waited. At the end of the day (and after a much needed lunch) we circled up and told everyone how our experience was at the hospital and how we helped out. It was an awesome first day and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the service days.