MVHS Leo Club shows appreciation on campus for ‘Share the Love Week’

It wasn’t Valentine’s Day. And yet there were cards being passed around campus, hugs being exchanged amidst a general aura of love. All a part of “Share the Love Week.”

One of MVHS’ newest clubs, Leo Club, decided to dedicate a week to show appreciation for friends, teachers and others around campus.

Leo Club is an offshoot of the De Anza Lions Club, a service club that focuses on improving the health of mankind, particularly vision. However, Leo Club provides other, more diverse options for student volunteers.

“The Leo Club is all about making a difference in the community,” president junior Tiffany Wu said. She and the other Leos decided that the MVHS community needed a little love. “[Share the Love Week] is nice because members can relate, since they’re a part of this campus, and they know people.”

Thus came Share the Love Week’s design.

Monday through Wednesday, March 7-9, students made and sent Friendship Grams to friends and teachers. Officers circulated cards with warm, fuzzy sayings, such as, ‘Smile, you’re beautiful!’ In addition, students and officers alike had the opportunity to make friendship bracelets in the rally court.

“[The Friendship Grams] went a lot better than we expected,” Wu said. “We sold eighty Friendship Grams on the first day, where we planned on selling eighty total throughout the week.

Thursday, March 10, a poster was left in the rally court for students to write messages of appreciation, both to specific people as well as to anyone who happened to read the poster. It went up on the A building wall soon after.

Friday, March 11, was the culmination of the week—Hug a Friend Day. Members of the Leo Club walked around wearing signs that read, “Free Hug.” Few others participated, although it was meant to be the high point of the week.

“Hug a Friend Day was not as obvious as we’d hoped,” Wu said. “The members did it, but that’s mostly it.”

By Friday, though, the goal of the week had already been accomplished: to spread a little love in a not-so-small way.

“I think if enough people get involved, it’ll make a difference,” Wu said.” “A lot of people underestimate how big an impact a small gesture can have.”