GRENOBLE, France — Whether they are at home or abroad, the love and warmth of Jamaicans always shine through like the noonday sun.

So when members of the Reggae Girlz team were informed that they would be a part of Fifa’s community service here in the south-eastern city, situated at the foot of mountains between the Drac and Isere rivers, they thought it was a no-brainer.

One could sense the excitement in the tone and body language of the five players — Captain Konya Plummer, Chinyelu Asher, Tiffany Cameron, Ashleigh Shim, and Lauren Silver — as they boarded the bus and set off on the journey.

Though their historic opener at the Fifa Women’s World Cup here against Brazil is just a day away, the players took the time out to travel to L’Hopital couple enfant CHU Grenoble Alpes, where they spent the afternoon meeting the staff and more importantly the young patients being treated there.

For sure the excitement intensified as they arrived on location after an approximate 20-minute drive, as the visit treated both the Reggae Girlz and the young patients alike to a memorable experience.

The visit allowed the players to take time away from their usual duties on the pitch and interact with some of their most adoring fans, while the children were able to escape their daily routine and enjoy a delightful afternoon with their idols, outside of France.

Accompanied by Manager Jean Nelson and members of the Fifa Local Organising Committee (LOC), the players went into the hospital rooms to meet the young patients and hand out gift bags.

While it was a unique moment that created unforgettable memories for the children, the players themselves were deeply touched.

Plummer got emotional as she explained how special the day was for her.

“It was good to come out into the community and interact with these kids… I feel like it was great for me personally and I struggle with controlling my emotions when I am around kids, especially these kids in the hospital. So that kind of affected me, because I can only imagine what they are going through.

“But it also shows how strong they are, because they don’t show it, they are happy, just so happy and that kind of helped me to relax. So it was a great experience to just come out and put a smile on these kids’ faces and I just want those who are well and able to be grateful for where they are at and just enjoy life,” Plummer told the Jamaica Observer.

Cameron was inspired by the experience as it had her thinking about and putting her own situation into perspective.

“It was amazing; I loved to see their faces light up and it’s just an example of how much we can impact other people, because what we are doing is inspiring these kids. They inspire me as well just because they are going through their own struggles and they still find a way to be happy and positive and that is just amazing to see. So this experience was really humbling for me, and I am really happy I could be here,” the winger shared.

Another winger, Shim, found favour in one of the patient’s sight as he quickly declared that he saw her on the television.

“I thought that today was really cool for us to just spend some time with the kids because as kids growing up we also looked up to football players or even adults who are successful and doing things and you get inspired by them.

“That was what it was like for me as a kid, so just seeing how excited they were to see us and when we gave them the gear was really awesome. I am a coach so I enjoy working with kids, and it’s fun for me to be in settings like this, so it was just a nice day to get away from football and just spend some time here and have fun,” Shim reasoned.

For Silver, the initiative was an exceptional experience that brought comfort to her.

“I think it was really cool because when we walked in they were really excited to have us there even though we are not the French team and I think it brought a lot of energy to the setting and the situation. So it’s nice that we were able to change or make their day as I tried to be funny and try to make them happy so it was fun,” the left full back/midfielder noted.