Different Ways to Make a Difference

FAMILY PHOTOS

A Juggling Act for TwoEvan and Eric Ortiz love to juggle. The brothers can juggle beanbags,

balls, rings, bowling pins — even knives! (They hope to juggle torchessomeday.)

How can juggling help anyone? “Everyone enjoys seeing me juggle,” said Evan, 15. One day while

the boys were waiting for their mom at a diabetes health fair, theystarted juggling to pass the time. Pretty soon a crowd of kids withdiabetes gathered to watch. Now the boys entertain sick kids and theelderly near their home in Rockville. (That’s Evan balancing Eric on hisshoulders in the photo above.)

“I really like helping people out who don’t have as much. It helpsyou understand what people are going through,” Evan said. The kidsin their audiences like to dance, clap and yell while the boys juggle.The older people often tell stories after their shows. “It makes us feelgood,” said 12-year-old Eric.

Keeping the Bears in MindNine-year-old Amanda Wilcox of Alexandria loves panda bears. “I just

really wanted to save them,” she said. A year ago she invented theboard game Pandarama, which she sells for $10. The money sheearns — more than $250 so far — goes to the Giant PandaConservation Fund at the National Zoo.

“I just sort of got the idea because [pandas] are endangered, andnot many people are helping them,” said Amanda, pictured in the blueshirt in the photo above left.

Gwyneth Collins asked her friends not to buy gifts for her eighthbirthday this summer but to donate to the World Wildlife Foundationinstead. She raised $375. Gwyneth, who lives in Alexandria, worriesabout how global warming is affecting polar bears. “I really loveanimals,” she said. “The polar bears . . . are runningout of ice, and [they] can’t swim as well.”That’s Gwyneth wearing the hat in the photoabove right.

Environmentally FriendlyLeah Muskin-Pierret and Abigail

Burman started an organizationcalled Branching Out(www.branchingout.org) as aSunday school service project.“We wanted to do somethingthat involved trees and helpingthe environment,” said Leah, 13,shown at right.

The Silver Spring group raisesmoney for the National ArborDay Foundation, organizes treeplantings and educates kidsabout the environment.

“For the most part, kids don’tdo much to help the worldbecause they don’t get a chanceto,” Leah said. “We want toeducate kids . . . about theproblem.”

Keeping Tabs on EducationTwo years ago, Caroline Casey began making

bracelets using soda can tabs and ribbon. Friendsat school “asked if I could make them one,” saidCaroline, 14. She did, charging them $2 each.

But instead of using the money for a newiPod, she gave it to two schools — one in Haiti,the other in Kenya, where her dad’s cousinworked. “He told us that for $75 a kid can go toschool, stay there and be taught,” she said.

Caroline’s customers include teachers at the school she attended,St. Louis Catholic School in Clarksville. She has raised more than$680 for children in Kenya and Haiti.

Why does she do all this for charity? “Just because,” she said.

You might think you have to be grown up to make a difference in the world. After all, you’re just a kid. But many kids are able to help people, animals and the planet. And they do it in very different ways. KidsPost’s Moira E. McLaughlin shares a few inspiring stories.

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WEATHER

TODAY’S NEWSScouts Return SafelyK Eight Boy Scouts missing over-night with three troop leaders inthe mountains of North Carolinaturned up safe yesterday.

The Scouts and their leaderswere on a weekend camping tripwhen they got off the trail Sundayand became lost in a heavily wood-ed area. Rather than try to findtheir way out in the dark, they setup camp for another night.

Isn’t That Cute?K The votes are in, and the winnerof the World Wildlife Fund’s cutest-animal contest is . . . was there anydoubt? . . . the panda.

Second place went to the polarbear. The snow leopard finishedthird. Bringing up the rear, at num-ber 40, was the anaconda.

And just to show that voters

knew what they were doing, checkout the 7-week-old cutie at the SanDiego Zoo. She has begun to openher left eye; vets say she should beopening her right eye any day now.

Following Chinese tradition, thecub will receive her name after sheis 100 days old.

One Strike Against HimK Speaking of baby names, howwould you like to be named after aballpark?

Paul and Teri Fields of MichiganCity, Indiana, are rabid fans of base-ball’s Chicago Cubs. They agreedthat if they ever had a son, they’dname him Wrigley. (Wrigley Fieldis where the Cubs have playedsince 1916.)

Thirteen days ago, Teri Fieldsgave birth to Wrigley AlexanderFields. The happy parents saidtheir son can use his middle namewhen he’s old enough to decide.For now, he’s being called Wrigley.

A spokesman for the Cubs saidthe name might be a first.

Correction: Our story last weekabout the state house in Annapolissaid it was completed after theAmerican Revolution. The buildingwas completed in 1779; the treatyending the war was signed in 1783.

SAN DIEGO ZOO VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

Veterinarians display the San DiegoZoo’s 7-week-old giant panda cub.

WRITE KIDSPOST, THE WASHINGTON POST, 1150 15TH ST. NW, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20071. K E-MAIL US AT KIDSPOST@WASHPOST.COM K FAX US AT 202-496-3780. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME, AGE, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER.

The Washington Post R Tuesday, September 25, 2007 C13

SPEAK OUTTHIS WEEK’S TOPIC

School’s In!Okay, you’ve been back in

class about a month now. Sowhat’s the best part of returningto school? Don’t say recess —although we’d understand if youdid: This is National Recess

Week, after all. But we were thinking of some

other things you might be enjoy-ing. Go to www.kidspost.comand tell us:

K What I like most about schoolthis year:

A. My teacher(s) B. Seeing old friendsC. Making new friendsD. Learning new thingsE. Are you kidding?

BY MARVIN JOSEPH — THE WASHINGTON POST

Every night 39.2%

5-6 nights/week 21.1%

3-4 nights/week 14.2%

1-2 nights/week 13.5%

Never 12.0%

Last week’s surveyasked: How many nightsa week does your familyeat dinner together?More than 600readers responded:SU

RV

EY

SAY

S

Fifty years ago today,federal troops escortednine black studentsinto formerly all-white

Central High School inLittle Rock, Arkansas.The “Little Rock Nine”became civil rights icons.Read about one of themin the Metro section.

More Stories for You

Want to DoSomethingRight Now?

ThreeNorthern Virginiaregional parksneed volunteersthis Saturday,National PublicLands Day, tohelp clean thegrounds. Callahead to signup. You must beat least 9 yearsold.

K Pohick Bay(Lorton), 9 a.m.to noon,703-339-6104.

K PotomacOverlook(Arlington), 8 a.m. to noon,703-528-5406.

K Upton Hill(Arlington), 9 a.m. to noon,703-534-3437.

TODAY: Sunny.

HIGH LOW

88 66TOMORROW:Mostly sunny. High 90. Low 69.

ILLUSTRATION BY ANTONIO GUTIERREZ, 7,BROOKEVILLE

WEATHERTRIVIAWHAT IS THE

TEMPERATURE OFLIGHTNING?

ANSWER: 50,000 DEGREESFAHRENHEIT, ABOUT FIVE

TIMES THE TEMPERATURE OFTHE SURFACE OF THE SUN.

Nov. 17 is Family Volunteer

Day. So roll up your sleeves

and help someone!

Proofed by: moorescott Time: 18:50 - 09-24-2007 Separation: C M Y K HIGH-RES PROOF. IMAGES ARE RIPPED. FULL PROOF INTEGRITY.Product: DAILY LayoutDesk: STY PubDate: 09-25-07 Zone: MD Edition: RE Page: KIDPST