City Needs Toys to Help Kids Fighting Cancer

Submitted by the City of Mission Viejo

The city of Mission Viejo is once again supporting an effort to benefit children battling cancer by collecting toys for the NEGU JoyJars project. The project is meant to inspire the community to give back in honor of the little girl who coined the phrase.

Twelve-year-old Jessie Rees inspired the world to never, ever give up in her fight against inoperable brain tumors. Only three weeks after her diagnosis, Jessie created JoyJars to give children facing similar battles some joy while they underwent treatment. Each jar holds 15-20 new, age-appropriate toys for a kid with cancer. Jessie lost her battle to the disease in 2012, but her dream and legacy lives on.

In an effort to support the Jessie Rees Foundation and children all over battling cancer, the city of Mission Viejo is collecting specific JoyJar items (attached) in specially marked boxes at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center (24932 Veterans Way) and Mission Viejo Library (100 Civic Center) through Dec. 19.

The Jessie Rees Foundation has provided more than 80,000 JoyJars to kids fighting cancer in more than 260 hospitals, 175 Ronald McDonald Houses and 8,000 private homes across all 50 states and 28 countries.

For more information, visit http://www.negu.org.