GARDEN GROVE : High Schoolers Give the Gift of Caring

Surrounded by the gleeful chaos of hundreds of excited children playing with their new toys, David Burney, 9, tossed a football to his newest friend, a senior at Pacifica High School.

After a few more tosses, chases and mock tackles, David, a special-education student from Clinton-Mendenhall Elementary School, hugged Steven Ferguson, 18, and told him, “I like you.”

David was one of more than 170 regular and special-education students from Clinton-Mendenhall who attended a massive party held in their honor Wednesday at Pacifica. As part of the school’s annual “Adopt-a-Child” tradition, the 274 seniors showered children with gifts they bought themselves and played games with the youngsters for hours in the school gym.

Ferguson, who bought David football trading cards, a toy car and sunglasses as well as the football, said providing the gifts was especially gratifying when he saw how impressed the boy was with them.

“He keeps saying, ‘Thank you. I love you. You’re my friend.’ They’re just simple little words” that mean a lot, Ferguson said.

Minutes after the children arrived, shredded wrapping paper and bows littered the gym floor. Excited children fired foam darts and arrows at each other, tossed footballs, drew in coloring books and played with Barbie dolls, as their older companions offered words of encouragement or joined in the play.

Seated on the floor, Joseph Blas, 6, punched his fist onto a plastic device that launched an air-propelled car across the floor. Joseph, who has Down’s syndrome, pointed as the car slowed to a stop and cried out with unrestrained joy, “Ohhh!”

Brian Campbell, 17, looked on smiling as Joseph played, saying that the party exemplified the holiday spirit for the high school students.

“When he saw the presents, he was like, ‘Yeah!’ He was so happy. I could tell this means a lot to him,” he said. “I didn’t spend as much money as a lot of people did, but I think the important thing is to spend time with them.”