John Kim (AKA Big John) shares his thoughts!

I asked John to write some words about his experience in the campaign so far and this is what he had to say:


Getting rejected is what we do best. 

John Kim

What a ride this campaign has been. When we first got to Kamloops I was so nervous because I didn’t know what to expect and I wanted to perform well so that I could help as many children as possible. After the first day I believe the nervousness disappeared, and instead a heightened sense of awareness appeared. This awareness consisted of learning the true goodness of people who are stopped randomly by a large smiling guy and willing to donate their hard earned money so that they could really make a difference to children thousands of kilometers away. I was able to learn that in this cynical world, people really do want to and will make a difference if given that chance.

I’m not saying it was all peachy though. It was difficult and at times incredibly frustrating to try and get sponsors for these kids because people really can be busy and it is not the right time for them to donate. I always think of positive memories before I work because I feel that it fires me up and if people see that passion I believe they feel it too because this energy is contagious.

One inspiring thought I like to think about is my neighbor back in Surrey who is currently building a home. My neighbor is a taxi driver who came to Canada from India many years ago and he finally began to build his dream home after saving up for several decades.

One night at around 2 AM, while I was getting some writing done in my dad’s office I looked outside the window and I saw him pull up in his taxi, get out, and just stare at the house under construction. He stared at this wonderful place which I later learned cost him between 12-16 hours of work a day. I later learned that he would do this after every shift. He was literally watching his dream come alive. My neighbor is in his 70s and it took him a long time to reach his dream but it is slowly but now very surely becoming true.

My dream is that even if a single child is able to make his dream come true like my neighbor then we have succeeded. I often tell people that we are so lucky in Canada that we can succeed but maybe if we sponsor these kids they too will have a shot at a better life. To have fun as a child, make mistakes, and learn as they grow in an environment where they aren’t persecuted for being born poor.

Our targets from World Vision were placed as an expectation of how well we would do with the amount of traffic a typical mall would get on certain dates. But a magical thing happened when four incredibly passionate people came together to share a dream of saving lives with the help of four incredible communities (Kamloops, Chilliwack, Penticton and Kelowna). When passion meets opportunity there is no other option but success and I am so happy our sponsorship numbers reflect that.

I want to finish off by letting you know that in every city we have smashed our goals by tremendous
amounts because of specific people on my team. Sean (decadent duo partner, former roommate and our Team Captain) was integral in teaching us the friendly side of the sponsorship program. Whenever any of us worked with Sean we could not help but smile and give it our all. Sean has been an incredible mentor and friend to me. Mel has just been awesome. She is hilarious and she is just one of those people who you can talk about anything with. I have had many fun and intriguing conversations with her and I truly believe that she brings out the gentle and best aspects of our team.

John, Sean and Mel

And then we have our Campaign Manager Javier. Javier is one of the most hardworking and disciplined people I have ever met. While Javier has been a great leader to us, he has been an even greater mentor and friend. His positive energy is the glue which holds our team together and he helps us to always look for the best in every situation. His determination to help these incredible children is something that many people, including me, are in awe of whenever he describes the wonderful experience of sponsorship. Javier has mentored me in so many ways and I truly believe that because of his infectious energy and unwavering faith in our team, we are as successful as we are today.

To everyone who is reading this, I wish you the best and please do not be afraid of rejection. The law of averages dictates that we will be successful; it is simply in the numbers. Ask everyone and anyone and do not assume anything. Keep fighting the good fight. Passion is infectious.

The Lantern Project
-John Kim-