SANTA ANA : Executive Gives Girl Camp Fund

A vice president for Toshiba Co. awarded a fifth-grade student with a $3,000 check on Monday, answering her plea that the firm help her class achieve its dream of attending a three-day science camp in March.

During a ceremony at Harvey Elementary School, Brian Merriman gave the check to Marcela Morfin, 11, as her classmates cheered and applauded.

Last week, Marcela sent Merriman a letter requesting a donation to help pay for the science camp. Children had organized fund-raisers for the last year to collect a portion of the money, and the school was prepared to pay for the remainder, but school funding evaporated in the wake of the county’s bankruptcy.

Marcela’s letter asked for $140, the cost for one student to attend, but Merriman and other Toshiba officials decided to pay $3,000--the school’s entire portion, said teacher Spring Teague.

At the ceremony, Marcela hugged Merriman and presented him and other representatives from Toshiba with school sweat shirts in return.

“They were real nice people. I told them thanks for helping us,” she said, adding that she was elated to have had a hand in rescuing the trip.

“I feel really excited. Now I want to go more than anything,” she said.