MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — Students at Madeira Beach Fundamental School have collected more than 1,600 teddy bears for the Rough Riders of Tampa Bay to give to sick kids and people in need.
Genevieve Latto is in sixth grade, and her brother Grant is in third. Together they donated nearly 100 teddy bears this holiday season.
"We are excited about opening gifts, but I think it's time that we start thinking about other people that aren’t as fortunate," said Genevieve.
Principal Chris Ateek said helping charities and giving back to the community is what Madeira Beach Fundamental School students do.
"We work really hard to teach character-based lessons throughout the school, and it's working. We're giving back to others and helping in the community," said Ateek.
Sixth grader Sophia Tong said a teacher told her how his son was comforted during a car accident by a first responder who handed him a teddy bear.
"It just touched my heart and inspired me," said Tong.
Which is why she saved her money and bought 120 bears to donate to kids in need.
"In the past decade, I’ve gotten so many presents, but I realized I haven’t given as much as I got. So giving just feels much better," said Tong.
Eighth-grader Blaise Geier said he’s proud of his school for understanding the importance of giving, especially the kindergarten class that collected the most bears.
"The kindergarteners for having their class at the highest; it gives me hope," said Geier.
Rough Riders of Tampa Bay picked up the bears. They will be given to kids in hospitals, cancer survivors and families, centers for abused women and children, community health centers, special needs day care centers, and foster children.
Last year Madeira Beach Fundamental School collected 1,000 bears to donate; this year, they collected a total of 1,675.
