Publication:The Fearless Times Issue 2 2009/Purple Pony Pirates

The second day in Karachi during this visit to Pakistan proved to be very special for members of the Toowoomba's Ship's Company and 40 local children from the Karachi Deaf Reach School.

Under the guidance of Chaplain Steve Gunther, 14 pirate costumed volunteers planned themed activities including games, demonstrations and provided an abundance of party food for the visiting children to enjoy.

As the children crossed the gangway, eyes wide open, they were met by "pirates" (ship's volunteers) with pretend swords who cheekily poked them as they came onboard. This was the start of an afternoon of smiles, laughter and fun.

Chaplain Gunther said the day could not have been more rewarding.

“I was so proud of the way the Ship's volunteers showed genuine care and commitment to this charity event. A lot of them had no previous experience with children or the deaf and they came with a simple desire to do something great for these kids,” Chaplain Gunther said.

The activities included dressing up races with the fire-fighting suits, fire-hose drills, wrapping mummy races, and pretend sword fights with the swords the ship's volunteers had made themselves.

“The children quickly formed strong bonds with the Pirates and soon the children were showing them the 'greeting' and 'I love you' sign with their hands”, Chaplain Gunther said.

Even though Toowoomba's volunteers could not sign back, the Pirates and children had no difficulty understanding each other. Some of the volunteers learned the basics of signing, and a lot of talking was done through the eyes and with body language.

Co-Founder and Director of Family Educational Services Foundation, Mary Paolo commented how appreciative they were of the genuine effort and willingness of the crew to interact positively with the kids. She said the kids can tell a lot about a person from just looking in their eyes.

When the crowd finished their games on the flightdeck, they made their way down to the Junior Sailors Café, where they found a sea of donuts and cupcakes of every colour, made overnight by ABCK Tysoe. The icecream machine was also a big hit with the kids.

The JS Café was a hub of face painting, knot tying, bracelet making and cylume stick swiping – and eating of course!