Canyon Lake 5th grader Reece Walsh was honored at the Lake Elsinore City Council meeting on Wednesday. Reece was recognized by the council and Dave Fontneau, former Lake Elsinore police chief and executive director of Cops for Kids, for “going above and beyond the call of citizenship and sense of community by raising more than $3000 for Cops for Kids.”
With the help of her friends, Cohen Simpson and Jeffery and Johnathan Eads, and her Tuscany Hills Elementary School classmates and teacher, Walsh raised $3,052 through her “Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart” campaign. As a result of her efforts, Cops for Kids was able to deliver gifts to more than 600 children in need.
On behalf of Cops for Kids, Fontneau presented Walsh with a Certificate of Appreciation Mayor Bob Magee presented her a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the Lake Elsinore City Council.
Speaking from the podium, Walsh said, “I would like to thank the communities of Canyon Lake and Lake Elsinore for helping me with this giant project.” Reece also thanked her mother, grandmother, teacher, classmates, and friends for their help.
“In these tough times that we all are in, many of our citizens are struggling just to put food on the table and to pay their rent and it’s awesome that we can take a moment and recognize the great things that are still happening during these tough time,” Fontneau said. “And, quite frankly, it reassures us that we are going to be okay with people like Reece and her friends growing up in our community that are going to be leaders moving forward.”
Cops for Kids was founded in 1995 by two deputies on patrol from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station who saw a need in the community and took up a collection from other deputies at the station. They started by delivering gifts to underprivileged children while on patrol at Christmas time. Today, Cops for Kids is a 501c3 non-profit serving hundreds of children each year.
