Beads benefit Gulf

Fifth- and sixth-grade students at Newport Coast Elementary school

this week set up a booth on their playground to sell Mardi Gras-style

necklaces and raised more than $1,000 to help victims of Hurricane

Katrina.

Ingrid Ohanian’s students started on Monday and sold every day

during recess. Two or three students at a time manned the booth while

others made and posted fliers around campus to drum up business. By

the end of three days, the students had sold all the necklaces. The

money will be given to the American Red Cross.

“It’s just nice to know we’re helping people. Also, we’re helping

animals,” said 9-year-old Cassidy Lundy. “I hope it will help get

houses and water and food.”

Wendy Lang, a mother of a student in Ohanian’s class, purchased

the necklaces from the Oriental Trading Co. The students sold them

for $1 a piece.

“It was beautiful to watch these kids,” Lang said. “Kids were

coming up with their lunch money, and we said, ‘Don’t do that. You

won’t have any lunch.’ One of the kids said, ‘That’s OK. Kids in New

Orleans are not eating lunch either.”

RELATED STORY

* Philanthropists, restaurateurs, country clubs, students:

Newport-Mesa is pitching in to assist Gulf Coast residents.

HURRICANE AID

* What are you doing to help victims of Hurricane Katrina? Send us

the results of your fundraising efforts, and include some

photographs: o7dailypilot@latimes.comf7.