Spreading cheer at the hospital

Corona del Mar High School students bring smiles to the faces of young patients with songs and a puppet show.Students from Corona del Mar High School visited the HealthBridge Children’s Hospital in Orange on Sunday to decorate for the holidays, entertain the patients and spread some holiday cheer.

More than 50 students -- dance students, singers from the Madrigals group and members of the Tolerance Among People and Make-A-Wish clubs -- turned out for the party.

“We’re more fortunate than others, so we do what we can,” said 18-year-old Newport Beach resident Jeff Edwards, co-president of Tolerance Among People. “It really means a lot to show these kids the holiday spirit.”

Denise Wieland, community service program specialist for Corona del Mar High School and advisor for many of the service-oriented campus clubs, organizes events like this every year. For the past five years, students have been visiting HealthBridge on holidays.

This year the students made picture frames with the children’s names on them and took their photos with Santa, who was played by a student from the high school. The students also decorated sugar cookies with some of the children.

The Madrigals, a singing group, and students from the dance department performed, as did Tera Ochoa, an occupational specialist at the school, who put on a puppet show.

“I felt honored that she [Wieland] even asked me to come and participate,” Ochoa said.

Glendora resident Christina Trejo visits her 2-year-old son Andrew at HealthBridge almost every day. She said volunteers from all kinds of organizations come by frequently.

“All the volunteers are so nice,” she said. “They really do a lot, and you can tell the parents and the kids really appreciate it.”

Trejo added that it’s especially pleasing to see high school students spending their weekend time helping others.

“It’s a lot of fun to do this kind of stuff,” said Hillary McElroy, 16, of Costa Mesa, who organized an Easter party at HealthBridge last spring. “It’s good to come here. They [the patients] are really excited to have us here.”

20051219irq6dyncWENDI KAMINSKI / DAILY PILOT(LA)Hannah Rollins helps Robert Conrad Alejandre, 3, decorate a holiday cookie at HealthBridge Children’s Hospital Sunday.