Volunteers / Helping hands
Michelle Jenkins, Orange County’s assistant to the chief of protocol, went to the aid of 10 students from Northern Ireland who dreamed of visiting Disneyland during their recent trip to California.
The teenagers raised the money needed to make the trip, and Jenkins was able to convince Disneyland as well as Knott’s Berry Farm, the San Diego Zoo, Sea World and other tourist attractions to donate free tickets for the children.
Jenkins, 26 of Laguna Niguel, said she was moved by a letter one student sent her.
“The girl said it was her dream in life to see Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” Jenkins said. “That really blew me away.”
The children, who attend a school for students with moderate learning difficulties in Londonderry, were wide-eyed tourists at Disneyland.
“They saw the Main Street Electrical Parade,” Jenkins said.
--COMPILED BY SHELBY GRAD, JOHN CANALIS AND MIMI KO CRUZ
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