Students help to make holidays ‘beary’ special
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

DAVE BENJAMIN After Manalapan High School received a donation of 100 teddy bears from the Salvation Army, students made clothing to fit the cuddly bears. Students Brooke Mosesman, Jennifer Bruzzi and Gina Marie Bilotto (l-r) gather the dressed up bears which will be sent to the township recreation department and distributed to youngsters at a holiday party.

MANALAPAN — Students in fashion merchandising, fashion design and child development classes at Manalapan High School are designing and sewing unique outfits.

With the help of a Salvation Army donation of 100 teddy bears for the school project, the students are working hard to make sure each bear is properly attired.

DAVE BENJAMIN Manalapan High School students (l-r) Kristina Avisado, Samantha Ottrando and Catherine Madonia sew clothing for teddy bears to be distributed to children enrolled in Manalapan’s special recreation program.

“We have a sewing class and the students were interested in doing some extra sewing, so a group of them came and asked the teachers if they could form a club,” said Ruth Dugolinsky, consumer science teacher. “We now have a needle and thread club here at Manalapan and their goal is to do a ‘dress the bear’ project.”

Dugolinsky said the students found out that the Salvation Army donates bears and asks volunteers to dress them and donate them to programs for handicapped children or organizations in the community.

This group of bears will be sent to the township recreation department to be distributed to handicapped children, the teacher said.

The sewing class students are busy making clothing for boy and girl bears, creating birth certificates for each bear, and making sure they are ready to be distributed for the holiday season.

“The director of the program in New Jersey was delighted, because the Manalapan recreation program has a special recreation class for handicapped children and they always ask for bears at holiday time,” Dugolinsky said. “We’ve expanded [the project] from the initial club to include the Fashion and Design class that does some clothing construction and the Child Development II class that studies about children, handicapped children and children with special needs. They’ve been learning to sew. So, they’ve been very busy.”

In addition to Dugolinsky, Debra Walter, fashion and design teacher, and Patricia Campbell, fashion merchandising teacher, have also been working with their students to keep the program rolling.

The community service project will continue at the recreation department where the bears will be presented to handicapped youngsters at the annual

holiday party on Dec. 11.

“This touches all the kids in the special recreation program,” said Michael Patrizzi, recreation board member. “If there is a brother or sister at the program, they also receive a bear. The kids can choose the bears that they want.”

Patrizzi said it is a nice thing to see three groups — the Salvation Army, Manalapan High School and the recreation program — join together to help children.

According to Patrizzi, there are about 25 challenged children in the special recreation program at the present time and there is still room for more to participate. Within the group there are children who are neurologically impaired, perceptually impaired, emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, or they may have orthopedic difficulties, etc. For more information call (732) 446-3200 and ask for the recreation department.