NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2007
A Magic Moment For Deserving Kids
120 Children Of Migrant Farm Workers Spent A Day At A Build-A-Bear Workshop
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Play CBS Video Video Florida Kids Receive 'Magic' Hannah Storm presents a Magic Moment to the children and a volunteer at the Guatemalan-Maya Center of Palm Beach County, Fla.
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Debra Young was surprised with a night on the town for her work with children at the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Florida. (CBS/The Early Show)
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Each weekday afternoon in Palm Beach County, Fla., 120 children come straight from school to the Guatemalan-Maya Center. Many of these kids were born in the United States but are children of migrant farm workers. The center helps them with academics and other activities.
For the past two years, Debra Young has been a center volunteer.
"They always get a snack when they first come in," she said. "They do homework, arts and crafts. They do projects with me through my books, which is a literacy project. They are without a doubt some of the sweetest, nicest, most humble children."
Debra, a former teacher wrote to The Early Show to request a Magic Moment the center could not otherwise afford to give the children.
"Dear Early Show," the letter said. "These children have a zest for learning and a passion for art. I would like to incorporate an activity where they design and clothe their own stuffed bear at the Build-a-Bear store in a local mall."
Debra said that the children who attend the Guatemalan-Maya Center are often from homes that are wealthy enough to afford the toys and trips that other families enjoy. Some have never been to the mall and some have never even owned a teddy bear. Yet, on their Magic Moments trip to the Gardens mall in Palm Beach, they are just like any other kids their age.
They ate pizza — donated by Sbarro — and received hugs from Bearemy, Build-a-Bear's mascot. They also had the chance to build their own friend from scratch.
"I think a teddy bear is more than just a toy," Debra told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm. "I think it's a security blanket for many children. It provides a best friend for children, a creative outlet for children. And it was — in my case, it was tied into one of the stories in one of my books — and the kids, after they did the story, I wanted them to have the experience of actually having a bear so that it would help them, motivate them to read and so that was part of it."
Home Depot provided the center with a $600 gift card to go towards tables for the classroom and Crayola promised $5,000 worth of art supplies for the kids. First Book, a partner of Build-a-Bear Workshop, will send several hundred books for the program.
On top of all that, to thank her for the hard work she has done, Bearemy came to The Early Show to present Debra with several gifts. She will be dining at Bobby Flay's Bar Americain and enjoying the acclaimed musical "Jersey Boys." She will also see all the sites of New York City on Grayline's New York City sightseeing tour.
"I wasn't expecting all of this," she said. "Thank you."
Learn more about some of the companies that helped make this trip happen by visiting these sites:
BuildABear.com, Sbarro.com, TheGardensMall.com, HomeDepot.com, Crayola.com and FirstBook.org.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 38 CommentsThank you CBS for a truely "Magic Moment", and Thank you Debra Young for www.digitalbugkids.com
I want to applaud you for selecting Debra Young's request for the children she works with at the Mayan Center. Debra is an exceptional individual who has worked for years to positively impact any and every young person she has come into contact with. If there is a disadvantaged child within a 20 mile radius of Debra, she will make it her mission to help them if it is within her power. From coaxing a group of young local rap artists to promote literacy, to establishing a school memorial garden in remembrance of the victims of 911, Debra continues to serve as a beacon of light and an activist of hope in her community. Thank you again for helping her to help and inspire others to do the same.
Tykisha Grant
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See all 38 Comments