Renton Resident Enlists French Immersion School of Washington Students For Teddy Bear Drive

Misty Leingang feels deeply connected to children’s issues. A teacher at the  in Bellevue and resident of the Renton Highlands, Leingang found a cause that really moved her—and her elementary school students—this year.

Leingang and her students collected teddy bears for Camp Erin, a summer camp that helps children and teens learn to cope after suffering the loss of a loved one.

“I bring in the passion for children and community outreach. I wanted to bring that to my students,” Leingang said. The native Texan says her passion with the USO began with its United Through Reading Program, which helps service members are recorded reading storybooks for their children to watch when they are on tours of duty.

Leingang, who lives in the Renton with her husband Don, has volunteered for several years for the organization, helping to coordinate USO events. When USO Puget Sound teamed up with the Moyer Foundation and TAPS to bring Camp Erin to the Puget Sound area this year, Leingang knew she wanted to volunteer at the camp, and saw it as an opportunity to involve her students as well.

The youngsters were eager to participate, she says, when they learned that the camp seeks to provide every camper with their own teddy bear as one of its healing activities. The kids collected and donated more than 35 plush teddy bears for the camp, which will serve about 50 kids over three days, in some cases donating their own favorite comfort bears. The camp was held at Black Lake Bible Camp in Olympia, on August 1-3, 2011, and campers ranged in age from 6-17.

“One little girl said, ‘I think we should give teddy bears. I have one that I really like, but I will donate it,’” Leingang said.

Leingang says participating in community voluntarism helps her feel more connected and grounded here in many ways. For example, she learned about the job opening at FISW from a family she met through USO, she said.

In fact, Leingang met her new husband at one such event, the USO’s gala auction and fundraiser about two years ago. Misty was seated next to Don Leingang, a retired US Navy Commander and current executive director of USO Puget Sound area, at the event and inadvertently bid on and bought a trip to Cabo San Lucas using his bidding paddle.

When she realized the mistake later and called Leingang to sort it out, he revealed that he actually had wanted to invite her on a date. Recently, the two went on the trip together to celebrate their honeymoon.

Since they met, the Leingangs have worked together on many USO projects. Each December they dress as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus and bring gifts to children who have lost a service member parent as they board a special flight called the Snowball Express that takes the kids on a special holiday trip.

“There are a lot of children in that position here, because we have a large military population,” Misty said.