Snowball: It’s all about sharing

Erika Quezada, Reporter

Snowball isn’t just known to have club meetings every Thursday after school where they play games, sing fun songs, and promote a safe environment for everyone, they are also known to host the annual blood drives every year, volunteer at school events such as the academic festival, open house, etc. and host the annual Snowball retreat every year in February. 

The Snowball club at Morton East is a club where kids come out to enjoy themselves, make new friendships with others, let go of all the stress they have all day, and participate in fun activities that the club provides; it also focuses on a healthy lifestyle for students and is against any negative attitudes/actions that will negatively affect the students. Snowball doesn’t only benefit the students that are involved in the club; but they also benefit the community and strangers by partnering up with Lifesource and hosting the blood drives every year to collect every pint of blood the students donate and save hundreds of lives, they participate and show pride in school events such as the academic festival, open house, homecoming parades, etc. and they host the annual Snowball retreat every year in February to make sure they provide a safe/positive environment and a life changing experience for everyone.

“What Snowball means to me is that we’re all family regardless of what we go through and know that you have someone to lean on during your lowest moments,” junior student Olivia Morell said.

Snowball has impacted a lot of students.

“Snowball impacted me because not only has it allowed me to come out of my comfort zone, but snowball also allowed me to create great amazing bonds with incredible people,” junior teen staff leader Cecilia Torres said.

The blood drives that Snowball and Lifesource hosts benefits them and the students; so one of the teen staff leaders explains why it benefits them.

“It benefits the students by showing them one of the many ways they can help out, Lifesource itself is very good at informing everyone on the action they’re about to take. As to snowball it’s beneficial because it’s a non profit organization in which it dedicates to saving lives being able to take part of that and playing a huge role shows who we are as a club,” senior teen staff leader Angela Hernandez said.

Snowball hosts the annual Snowball retreat every year in February and it benefits the students, teachers and teen staff who go on the retreat. One of the Snowball advisors explains about the purpose of the retreat.

“We can’t say a lot about what happens on the retreat because what happens in snowball stays in snowball but the idea of the retreat is an opportunity of a lifetime to connect with your peers outside of the classroom to develop to what can turn into long lasting friendships; but also a safe environment to talk about very powerful issues like bullying, depression, sex and relationships, etc. and these are topics that are so relevant to where we are and to where students are at and to provide a environment of safety and trust and of privacy,” English teacher/Snowball advisor Mrs. Gonzalez said.

One of the teen staff leaders also feels the same way about the purpose of the retreat.

“The snowball retreat is supposed to show people that no matter what they’re going through, they’re not alone and they can make a whole family just by going there,” junior teen staff leader Natalia Cervantes said.