Valencia Elementary School
MONday, APRIL 17, 2023,
was a banner day at Valencia Elementary in Laguna Hills, California, as hundreds of curious K-6 students sat patiently in the school’s central Grove for a big surprise. Hidden under bright orange sheets and accompanied by two merry Orange mascots was their very own, one-of-a-kind Buddy Bench!
After the monthly Flag-Raising Ceremony, Principal Carolyn Fries played master of ceremonies as students pondered the possibilities of the great reveal. Mrs. Fries began with a hint by talking about Resort 2 Kindness and our origins—“started for the love of one family committed to making a difference by transforming the world through thoughtful generosity and unconditional love.” She explained that our founder, Elva Pellouchoud, was inspired to honor her parents, “who spent their lives demonstrating the power of giving to each of their 15 children.” The kids were visibly wowed to hear how R2K’s acts of kindness had already spread across the country and the world.
To help with the unveil, Mrs. Fries called up R2K’s Kindness Ambassadors, Jaclyn and Vivian Lee, who are in first grade and kindergarten at Valencia. Mrs. Fries called out “One, two, three, GO! PULL!” as the girls and their mom, R2K Board Member Jeanie Lee, pulled the sheets back to reveal a colorful custom-designed wood Buddy Bench. The excitement was palpable when eager whispers turned into rousing rounds of cheers and applause.
While Valencia students, teachers and faculty admired their new kinder playground addition, Mrs. Fries explained the concept behind a Buddy Bench, “to encourage kindness and inclusiveness for elementary school students.” The bench beautifully supports the school’s commitment to creating a kind and safe environment for its learners and future leaders.
She also talked about the special meaning added to Valencia’s Buddy Bench. “Ours was created in honor of Barbara and Patrick Pellouchoud, the late parents of the founder,” Mrs. Fries explained to the excited crowd. “Each bench is customized with an illustration of the mascot sitting beside a silver fox on a bed of roses,” representing each parent. In this case, Valencia’s smiling mascot, Squirt, has his arm around the silver fox in a show of solidarity. As a fun touch, both buddies sport Squirt’s trademark sunglasses.
Valencia Elementary School marks R2K’s first Buddy Bench reveal in California and its first donation since the passing of Elva’s beloved mom. For Valencia, a special plaque was added to the back of the bench with the inscription:
In loving memory of
PATRICK & BARBARA PELLOUCHOUD
“The Silver Fox & Mother Love”
Theirs was a unique legacy of kindness to be shared and continued by the students of Valencia Elementary.
This Buddy Bench’s journey is equally inspiring. It began in 2022 during Valencia Elementary’s annual Kindness Week, when R2K donated a batch of coloring books to Mrs. Rys’s kindergarten class, where Kindness Ambassador Jaclyn’s classmates first learned about “The Silver Fox” and his Buddy Bench. Mrs. Rys was so moved by the unique story of friendship and kindness that she spearheaded the request for a Buddy Bench for the school’s kindergarten area. That’s when R2K stepped in to help bring her dream to fruition, creating a custom Buddy Bench Valencia students could call their very own. Mrs. Fries aptly called it “an amazing act of kindness for our school.”
After the ceremony, Mrs. Rys’s current class of kind-hearted kindergartners (including Kindness Ambassador Vivian this year) was all smiles as they posed proudly with their new one-of-a-kind Buddy Bench. A couple of joyful students even made the heart-shaped gesture with their hands.
R2K sends a huge “thank you” to Mrs. Rys and Mrs. Baer, the Valencia kindergarten teachers who advocated for the Buddy Bench and also run the school’s exemplary Kindness Club. We hope they’ll enjoy seeing their students, one day grown and possibly with children of their own, return to the playground to remember the many friendships that started right here on this bench, thanks to an act of kindness.
To request your child’s school to receive the next Buddy Bench, click here and fill out the form at the bottom of the page.