In three days, summer will officially be here. Well, almost. The “kickoff” to summer, more formerly known as Memorial Day, begins Monday.

Although finals start on Tuesday and most people will be studying, there are many opportunities to get involved around the KC metro area, whether with volunteering or just to take a break from studying.

“I have some of my hardest finals the first part of the week so I’ll probably be held up inside my house most of the weekend,” freshmen Ahrash Karbasi said. “However, I plan on playing some soccer this weekend if the weather clears up.”

The long weekend also gives families a chance to get away for a little bit and visit family in other states which is the case for freshmen Rylee Brown who plans on visiting her family in Oklahoma.

However, for those in town this weekend, a list of events happening around the Overland Park area can be found at www.kansascity.about.com/memorialday  and links are posted next to the event, so that it’s easy access to find out information, if an event sounds intriguing.

Not only is Jiggle Jam (May 25 and 26)  an event to take the whole family to, but volunteer opportunities are still available. Amy Thompson, the run for brain injuries, is also occurring on Memorial Day which provides even more chances to get involved over the weekend.

Along with those two events, Oceans of Fun will also be opening, however the weather forecast predicts a chance of rain.

The Vietnam War Memorial will be open to honor veterans and the World War Two Museum will have special hours on Monday in order to recognize those who served.

Although Memorial Day is traditionally reserved to honor the country’s veterans, the Royals will be in town to take on the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I’m really excited for the [baseball] game,” junior Lauryn Bogseth said. “Baseball and summer are two things I associate with each other, so it’s the perfect opportunity to kick off the endless days of summer with a baseball game.”

Despite the forecast for the weekend, most events are being held indoors so the rain shouldn’t ruin any plans. However, with neighborhood and public pools opening Monday, plans to start on that summer tan might have to be postponed.

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