Like the Styx song suggests, some people are facing the ‘Too Much Time On My Hands’ dilemma during the pandemic.
It’s refreshing to see a young person like Danielle Groenendijk, 21, putting that time to good use. She’s a great role model for the community and living on Mount Sicker Road puts her into the Westholme and Chemainus areas both taking credit for her accomplishments.
Groenendijk’s usually very busy schedule of school and volleyball at Vancouver Island University was cut back, but since she’s not used to being idle too long it meant she had to go in another direction. She also works hard on the family farm and that translates into everything she does.
Heading into the Christmas holidays, Groenendijk decided she’d direct her energy to a Parkinson’s fundraiser in honour of her grandfather John Kampman, who has experienced the intensifying affects of the disease. She committed herself to doing runs every day for a month from mid-December to mid-January.
With the weather being iffy throughout this time, it didn’t deter Groenendijk from wanting to make a difference.
The funds started to pour in to support her cause and eventually wound up being double the original goal. It’s great that some people who actually aren’t spending as much during the pandemic and might have some extra money in their pockets were willing to donate so readily to Groenendijk’s effort.
But at the same time, charitable organizations have taken a bit of a beating because the usual events that bring in funds and create awareness have not taken place. That’s where individuals with some ingenuity to fill the gap have taken on such an important role.
Groenendijk also managed to volunteer some time at her former stomping grounds at Duncan Christian School to assist volleyball players with high hopes and ambitions, a position she was in herself only a few years ago.
Athletes like Groenendijk who are willing to go to great lengths to better themselves while helping others with their games or to undertake various causes are a rare breed.
It all starts with proper time management.
