Kindergartner inspires beary merry holidays

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT COAST -- When Rachel Rosenblum was in preschool, she organized

a teddy bear drive for children at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

Now that she’s a kindergartner at Newport Coast Elementary School, she

is again taking the initiative to make the children’s lives at CHOC a

little brighter.

The school adopted the 5 1/2-year-old’s idea, and, over the past month

the students in the lower grades have gathered close to 100 teddy bears.

They will be delivered today.

“It’s kids helping kids,” said Claire Bianchi, the school’s outreach

coordinator.

The teddy bear drive started last year when Rachel’s preschool

encouraged the students to do something nice over the holidays.

Rachel wanted to donate some of her teddy bears but the hospital

requested new ones, so she saved up her money to buy two dozen. With the

help of her preschool, they gathered about 200 to donate.

Rachel said she thought the children at CHOC would enjoy the bears “so

they won’t be scared.”

“They can hold them in their hands,” Rachel said.

To motivate her fellow students at Newport Coast, Rachel spoke at an

assembly, sharing her inspiration.

“I was impressed with her composure,” said Principal Monique

VanZeeBroeck. “I was pretty amazed that a kindergarten student would come

up with an idea that was simple but powerful.”

Rachel’s dad, David, said he’s impressed with his daughter’s

compassion.

“It’s just a proud feeling to know your child wants to help kids,”

David Rosenblum said. “When they’re this age, usually it’s me, me, me.”

The upper grades will participate in their own teddy bear drive in the

spring.