Jump Start the Journey: Hop into Hope
Hope Christian High School (HCHS) officially kicks off its 80th founding anniversary celebration through a three-day school fair held from July 29-31.
Jump-starting with joy
The HCHS grounds transformed into a funfair with its vibrant decorations and festive atmosphere. Everyone’s attendance reflected the exciting days that lay ahead, yet they reined in their excitement and gathered to witness the school fair’s opening ceremony. School Chaplain Rev. William Jonathan Ong opened the event with a prayer. This was followed by an enthusiastic welcome message from School Principal Dr. Angeline Tan. The atmosphere was hyped up even more when she invited everyone to shout, “Jump start the journey. Hop into Hope!” The ribbon-cutting ceremony then took place to officially open the school fair, bringing together some key figures in making the occasion possible, HCHS Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairwoman Helen Ng, HCHS-Alumni Association Inc. President Mr. Joseph Kua, Former BOT Member John Go Hoc, and School Principal Tan. The ribbon-cutting did not just launch the three-day festivities but also symbolized the start of a year-long anniversary celebration.
Opening Ceremony
It goes without saying that no celebration is complete without the presence of an esteemed guest. Certainly, the school’s official mascot, Joy (the mother kangaroo), instantly became a celebrity with her unexpected appearance. Joy and a few preschool pupils dressed as joeys (named Cris) also delivered a special dance performance, which charmed everyone. The audience also enjoyed a photo opportunity with Joy afterward.
Special performance of Joy and Cris
Hopping booth to booth with hope
With ribbons cut and photo ops taken, the rides and booths finally opened. Students and visitors both lined up for the extreme rides of the fair: the Anchor’s AWeigh and the Velocity Swing. These rides brought screams of thrill and tightly shut eyes from patrons, yet despite the dizziness riding these incurred, the long queues of people filling the quadrangle proved that Anchor’s AWeigh and Velocity Swing were crowd favorites.
Anchor’s AWeigh and Velocity Swing
At the Preschool Gym, Go-Kart and Inflatables unleashed everyone’s inner child. In small four-wheeled karts, both young and adult fairgoers pedaled their way around the track. This was gentler compared to the rides in the high school building but was equally enjoyable, as the people rode the karts at their own pace. The bouncy slides and walls of the Inflatables, meanwhile, were also jam-packed. The lines of students and parents who waited for their turn confirmed that the bouncy playground was for every age. However, the aftermath of these age-friendly rides ironically revealed some signs of aging in adult patrons. Some adults subtly groaned from muscle and joint pain after riding Go-Kart and the Inflatables, yet the smiles on their faces said it was worth every ache.
Go-Kart and Inflatables
The thrill and adrenaline of the rides carried through the game booths. Each of these booths added flair to the festivities: Archery Range and Remote Control Racetrack/Crawler, Escape Room, Basketball, SCO’s Stick Drop, Boy Scouts’ Fishing Booth, Ring Toss, Nerf Shooting Range, and Cornhole, Girl Scouts’ Stand the Bottles, and Balloon Dart, Kids Basketball, and Letter Catch. In these games, the fairgoers put their strategic and tactical skills to the test to win the prizes.
Game Booths
Aside from these game booths, a Dedication Booth was also put up, where the sound team played song requests from fairgoers. Everyone vibed with the songs, especially those waiting in line for the rides. They also enjoyed the Face Paint Booth, where they saw their chosen designs come to life. SCO’s Photo Booth was also a blockbuster. Families, friends, classmates, and batchmates grabbed the chance to capture the occasion together. The printed photos served as souvenirs from the event, but fortunately for those who wanted more than just photos as souvenirs, merchandise booths were also set up. The Philippine Christian Book Store (PCBS) sold Bibles, Christian books, journals, and educational materials. HCHS’ very own Girl Scouts marketed resin-made products and their ever-famous Girl Scout butter cookies, while the SCO rolled out Hope merch such as t-shirts, tote bags, keychains, bracelets, pins, and stickers.
Dedication and Merch Booths
To fuel the fairgoers with energy, food stalls were available, and they offered a variety of meals, snacks, and refreshments. Different blends of coffee, tea, and juices quenched the thirst of the patrons. Chinese dimsum, Korean food, and go-to meals and snacks like chicken pops, flavored chicken, sisig, shawarma, pasta, fries, and cookies satiated their hunger.
Food Stalls
Nonetheless, beyond being sources of entertainment, the rides and booths actually served as vessels of hope. They helped the school hop closer to its lasting legacy. Proceeds from the ticket and booth sales will go toward the construction of the school’s Mixed-Use Educational Building. This makes the three-day school fair not just a kick-off celebration for the decades that have gone by but a fundraising event for the years beyond.