Miss Junior Teen Murrieta Organizes Toy Drive for Hospitalized Children

Maylani Bussey, reigning Miss Junior Teen Murrieta, has organized a toy drive benefiting children who are hospitalized at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. She has two locations where unwrapped toys can be donated, one at the Grace Mellman Community Library and the other at her school, River Springs Charter School. She is collecting toys through Thursday, Dec. 20.

Maylani Bussey was crowned in August of this year and enjoys her role as a leader among her peers. “I love setting a good example and showing kids my age that community service is fun and rewarding,” she stated in a phone interview. Maylani was inspired by her family who has been caring for foster children for twenty-five years and witnessing the generosity of her parents as they worked to supply toys for children in the foster care system.

Maylani explains the inspiration for her toy drive by saying, “Kids in foster care have to go to the hospital sometimes and I thought, kids in hospitals need new toys too, so that’s where the idea came from. I am so happy to be doing this for Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and the kids who will be spending Christmas in the hospital. I hope the toys will give them joy.”

The toys will be delivered to Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta on Friday, Dec. 21 where they will be transported to the LLU Children’s Hospital in Loma Linda, about 42 miles north of the new Murrieta facility.

Rick Rawson, CEO and President of LLUMC-Murrieta enthusiastically states, “We are inspired by Maylani, not only for her dedication to her community but for her thoughtfulness in organizing this toy drive. Her efforts and the gifts from this community will bring tremendous blessings to LLUCH and their young patients this Christmas.”

—News release submitted by Kathryn Stiles, spokesperson for Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta