Los Al Students Gave and Gave and Gave in 2012

Los Alamitos Unified suspects that its students—and their beneficiaries—won't soon forget the contributions that kids from every school and every grade made in 2012.

The district, expressing pride in its students, lists these projects that have included the donation of time, money, resources and supplies to those in need:

• Los Alamitos Elementary Ambassadors sponsored a schoolwide project that provided more than 250 new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots. According to the Los Alamitos Unified School District, students created the posters, ran the campaign, sorted the toys and gave them to the Marine Corps collectors. 
• Lee Elementary held a toy drive and gave its donation to the Orange County Fire Authority No. 17 in Cypress.
• Rossmoor students gave clothes to victims of Hurricane Sandy and organized a food drive for We Care.
• The Hopkinson Husky Leadership Council sponsored a food drive for CASA Youth Shelter, providing Thanksgiving meals for local families. It also donated more than 300 toys for the Spark of Love Toy drive program sponsored by local fire departments.  
• McGaugh classrooms adopted individual classrooms at Memorial Elementary School in Union Beach, N.J., which was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. The entire school had to be relocated until repairs could be made. In their "Beach to Beach" effort, McGaugh students wrote letters of support and gathered books, classroom supplies and gift cards to send to Memorial School. McGaugh students also donated more than 300 toys to the Sparks of Love toy drive. The Station 44 captain said the majority of toys were going to the Orangewood Children’s Home for abused and neglected children.
• The Weaver Ambassadors sponsored a drive for the Long Beach Rescue Mission and We Care in Los Alamitos. The entire school participated; 566 items for We Care were collected, and 46 complete meals were provided for the Long Beach Rescue Mission. Plus, grocery store gift certificates totaling $660 were given to the Rescue Mission for its food bank. During Hurricane Sandy, coin jars were placed in every classroom, and the students collected more than $1,000 for the Red Cross Hurricane Sandy relief fund. 
• McAuliffe Middle School’s TOMS Club hosted a TOMS shoe drive. Some shoes will be recycled into new running tracks and outdoor flooring for playgrounds. Other shoes will be passed on to runners with the nonprofit group Up and Running Again, as well as to the Salvation Army. 
• Oak Middle School participated in numerous community service programs.  In November, Oak Lions participated in the School Cents Food Program. Thirty gift baskets were donated to the Long Beach Rescue Mission. Throughout the fall, Oak students collected over 500 Yoplait Yogurt lids for Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer Research.
• Laurel High School students organized and ran a blood drive in October and has been involved in the “Adopt a Family” drive.
• Among the many Los Alamitos High School projects was that of the Interact Club, whose members have been working to support and serve local teens and families, aiding needy families during the holiday season through the Youth Services branch of the Orange County Health Care Agency.  The program, a tradition known on campus as “Dear Santa,” has grown into a schoolwide program culminating in the 2012 donation of more than $20,000 in gifts and gift cards. In the last year, the group has also donated $2,000 to Casa Youth Shelter, $5,000 to Precious Life Shelter and $2,000 to the Kai Quinones Foundation.