9-year-old CL girl catches the spirit of giving

BY Ariana Shah

Nine-year-old Reece Walsh has caught the spirit of giving and is now looking to raise $5,000 for the local Cops for Kids Organization.

It all began when the Canyon Lake fifth grader found a drone and returned it to its owner. The grateful drone owner gave Reece a $300 reward for her kindness. It didn’t take long for the money to burn a hole in her pocket. She didn’t spend it. She gave it.

“We then went to Stater Brothers, where Reece saw a woman asking for donations for families in need during this pandemic,” Rhonda Walsh, Reece’s grandmother, said. “She gave the lady $100. Reece then decided she wanted to donate more.”

Reece Walsh, a fifth grader at Tuscany Hills Elementary, is fundraising for Cops For Kids, with a goal of $5,000. The Canyon Lake 9-year-old is petitioning fellow classmates, but also those in the community to help her reach the goal.

The bug bit. She looked for ways to give and encountered Cops for Kids, a program which encourages positive relationships between law enforcement and the youth, along with assisting them and their families.

Rhonda reached out to Diana Arce, Reece’s Tuscany Hills Elementary teacher, and had asked for her guidance.

“It’s a great time for kids to give back to their community,” Diana said. “It’s such a crazy time right now. So many people have been affected by this pandemic.”

Diana and Reece agreed that as a grand collective, fundraising for this cause would be an efficient and great way to do something good this holiday season.

“I wanted to do anything that would help Reece’s project,” Diana said. “We agreed to turn the fundraiser into a class project to increase the outreach. I reached out to Mr. Crow, the principal at Tuscany, to get the school involved. Teachers agreed and were excited to get their classrooms involved as well.”

The fundraiser, with a goal to raise $5,000, will take place from now through Dec.11.

Reece plans to create a video explaining her plans to fundraise for Cops for Kids. Every student at Tuscany Hills Elementary will watch it, afterwhich she said she will ask for everyone to donate what they can, whether it’s 50 cents or 10 dollars.

Others can donate as well. Reece has set up three ways to contribute. Those interested can donate money by going to the Cops for Kids website, by writing a Cops for Kids check or by giving cash to Reece’s grandmother Rhonda.

Rhonda, Diana and Reece will then deliver the donations to the local Cops for Kids Organization in Lake Elsinore. The donation they take to the group will be in a stocking, which will illustrate their quote, “Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart.”

“I’m super excited for Reece,” Diana said. “Not many kids her age think of helping others. It says a lot about her character. I had her in first grade and now again in fifth grade. It’s awesome to see her grow into such an amazing young lady.”

Posters which advertise the fundraiser will be posted throughout the Canyon Lake Town Center, Reece said. She picked the quote “Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart” to promote the giving during the holiday season.

If one is interested in donating cash or check, contact the Walshes at 951-750-0012.