Pleasanton Students Sell Jelly Beans To Help Butte County Kids

PLEASANTON, CA — Months after the deadly Camp Fire ripped through the towns of Paradise, Magalia, Concow and parts of Chico, turning much of Butte County to ash, a fifth grade class in Pleasanton is trying to help some of the young residents affected by the historic blaze.

Through a program called "Color A Classroom With Love," Kerry Mattimore’s class at Hearst Elementary School recently adopted a fifth grade class at Pine Ridge School in Butte County. The crafty entrepreneurs have been raising money for their adopted class by selling jars of jelly beans.

Although Pine Ridge did not burn down, the campus lost portables used for their after school programs. One of the students’ two teachers lost their home in the deadly Camp Fire.

The Fairfield-based Jelly Belly Candy Company donated 8,000 jelly beans to the cause and classroom parents covered the costs of jars. Mattimore’s students decorated and packed Valentine's-themed jars with the jelly beans. They have designed posters and will be writing letters to their new pen pals in the adopted class.

The students have raised about $375 so far and will be back out at the Pleasanton Farmers’ Market selling one more time on Feb. 9. The kids will be downtown on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. All of the money raised will be used to buy school supplies for the class. Anyone who would like to donate to the collection may email juliehgrijalva@gmail.com to contribute.

The Camp Fire began in Butte County on Nov. 8 and quickly spread across 240 square miles killing at least 85 people and displaced thousands more. Most of Paradise was charred within 24 hours. Nearly 19,000 buildings, mostly homes, were destroyed. It was the nation's deadliest and most destructive wildfire in a century.

See Also:

• SF Giants Help Replace Man's Memorabilia Lost In Camp Fire
  
• ACSO Fundraiser Will Give 400 Bikes To Butte County Fire Victims
  
• 4 Tri-Valley Breweries Serving Suds To Benefit Fire Victims

Photo courtesy JG