— from Haley Moss for Orcas Key Club —

This past month, Key Club [at Orcas School District] has been extra busy. To benefit the patients at Children’s Hospital in Seattle, Orcas Island students put on a Stuffed Animal Drive. For two weeks in May, Key Club put boxes in the rooms of every class, Kindergarten through 12th grade, in the hopes of filling them to the brim. Students could bring in both used and loved toys, whatever was available. The outcome was incredible. In the first week alone we had already accumulated over 100. By the end of the two weeks students had brought in 390 stuffed animals.

Whichever class brought in the most in the Elementary, Middle, and High Schools were awarded with a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Ms. Anderson’s 1st and 2nd grade class brought in 104 animals. Mrs. McGrath’s class was a close second with 83. In the High School, the 10th graders brought in 54. It was a successful and important drive that truly brought the community together.

“It’s an important drive because parents have bigger problems on their mind, when their children are patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital, than buying them new toys. It’s nice to know that they don’t have to worry about it,” said McCabe Webb, current Vice President of Orcas Island’s Key Club. We are beyond proud of all of the students here for their generous support and involvement in this cause.