FCS students volunteer for Valley Children’s Healthcare

The 32nd annual Kids Day approaches and it’s going to start before the sun comes up, March 5. The tradition is hosted by Valley Children’s Healthcare, along with partners ABC 30 and The Fresno Bee. This fundraising event is staffed all over the city by thousands of volunteers wearing orange aprons and selling special edition Fresno Bee newspapers for $1. All the proceeds go to benefiting Valley Children’s Hospital.

To put on this event, volunteers are needed. Elementary, middle school and high school students are welcome to participate through their school clubs or extracurricular groups.

The Fresno Bee is a main partner in this endeavor. Executive Editor of The Fresno Bee, Joe Kieta, shares why he is excited and how The Bee has been preparing for Kids Day.

“This is probably the biggest community outreach that The Fresno Bee does every year,” Kieta said. “It is a great opportunity for the community to help Valley Children’s Hospital and all the great work they do. To say that we are excited about it is an understatement.

Former editor and senior vice president of the The Modesto Bee, Kieta has helped shape McClatchy and helped transform the newspaper group into the digital age.

“In its entirety, which goes back 30 years,” Kieta continued, “it (Kid’s Day) has raised over $9.2 million. In conjunction with ABC30 and our partners, we have been diligently been preparing for this for quite a while. It is always great to see the generosity of this community on display.”

Fresno Bee reporter Carmen George tweets out her encouragement  and promotes #KidsDay2019 in the following social media post.

#KidsDay is tomorrow! Help out Valley Children’s Hospital @CareForKids with a $1 donation (or more!) for a special Kids Day newspaper, printed by The @FresnoBee. Proceeds help kids in need. https://t.co/xxrp63Iaf6

— Carmen George (@CarmenGeorge) March 5, 2019

Fresno Christian High School leadership and The Feather Online staffers have participated in Kids Day for several years. Last school year, 40-plus students volunteered their mornings, raising over $2,500 for Valley Children’s Hospital. Hannah Villines, ’21, is participating in this year’s Kid’s Day. She is in FC high school leadership and she shares what she is looking forward to.

“I am most looking forward to being able to bond with my other classmates who will be selling newspapers,” Villines said. “This is my first time and I think it is important because it gives us another perspective. It also gives more appreciation for life and all that we take for granted.”

Carston Saelzler interviews Executive Editor of The Fresno Bee Joe Kieta on Kids Day via the telephone.

At FCS, there are also students who serve out of the joy of volunteerism, not because they necessarily have to serve. Senior Brandon Brogan shares why he participates.

“It’s fun to volunteer for a good cause,” Brogan said. “I like getting to help with something and be with all my friends in the freezing cold. My favorite part is doing something that I don’t usually get to do, help a good cause or rather be able to help on my own. Favorite memory from last year is when Mr. (Scott) Rurik bought our whole street corner donuts.”

From individuals to corporations, thousands are promoting Kids Day, including Valley Children’s Hospital in the following tweet.

Kids Day is tomorrow – so don’t forget to pick up your special edition of the @FresnoBee from volunteers up and down the Central Valley. pic.twitter.com/MvG7Ire4ot

— Valley Children’s (@CareForKids) March 4, 2019

If you are an FCS high school student and would like to get in on all the action, come on out!  Make sure to speak with Leadership advisors Robert Foshee and Aubri Foster first. Leadership and Feather staffers will be out on the corner of Cedar and Alluvial as well as Maple and Alluvial from 4:30-8 a.m. Make sure to bundle up, stay safe and off the streets, and sell some papers. Join the FC community and buy papers from campus students this year!

Below is the recap video for Kid’s Day 2018 made by Feather video journalists.

View the Feather Kids Day video 2018 from The Feather Online on Vimeo.

To read last year’s Feather coverage of this event read, Kids Day 2018 and Join the discussion: Kids Day 2018.

Carston Saelzler can be reached via email.

Below is a slideshow of Kids Day, March 5.

Gallery • 23 Photos