Devyn Seidner was fascinated by the teddy bear toss she saw at a Florida Everblades ice hockey game at Hertz Arena in Estero. The heartwarming tradition has fans tossing stuffed animals onto the ice after the Everblades’ first goal of the game. The toys are collected and donated to Golisano’s Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. The eighth grader at Oakridge Middle School in Naples was so enchanted by the event that she wanted to copy the idea for her school. Her plan was to organize a teddy bear toss and give the stuffed animals to the students in the school’s modified curriculum (MC) program for students with special needs.
“I’ve wanted to do something like [the teddy bear toss] since I was in sixth grade, and I was finally able to do it this year,” Devyn said.
Devyn took her idea to the Oakridge administration and impressed Assistant Principal Nicole Spencer with her initiative and leadership skills. “Devyn had everything ready before she presented [to the administration]. It was like she was presenting a business plan. She had everything down to the day and time she wanted to do it. She has that natural leadership ability. When she comes up with an idea, she sets the goal and gives herself a timeline and then executes it. It is very impressive.”
During the event, students stood on the school’s second floor balcony and tossed the stuffed animals onto a tarp below. The children in the MC program then selected one from those collected. There were so many stuffed animals that the school donated some to other MC programs and to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
The teddy bear toss is just one in a long list of efforts Devyn has undertaken to support children with special needs at her school. She designed a t-shirt featuring the MC student’s handprints inside an Oakridge Bulldog’s pawprint, and ensured that every child in the MC program received a shirt. Devyn volunteers as a buddy for MC students during field day, carnival day, school dances, and field trips. She is part of the Best Buddies program at her school that pairs students in general education classes with those in MC classes.
Devyn said she first became interested in helping the students with special needs when she was in sixth grade, but there were not as many opportunities available.
“I would just see them at lunch and say ‘Hi’,” Devyn described.
This year, as a member of National Junior Honor Society, she was able to recruit other NJHS students to help her plan and execute activities to do with the children in the MC classes.
“I always wanted to do something for them,” Devyn said. “I like the experience and it feels good helping other people. It is really fun to be around them.”
“It means a lot to the kids,” said Leslie Sevy, MC teacher at Oakridge. “Anytime I [tell the class Devyn] is coming, they get excited. It is amazing that she loves to do this. She often will reach out to me and ask when is the next time she can be with the kids. This is a passion for her and I know she will do this in high school next year. And I know she will continue this even beyond high school.”
Devyn has a long list of accomplishments at Oakridge Middle School. She is on the Academic World Quest team, debate team, Student Government, and NJHS. She also plays tennis and is part of a theater group.
“She is very impressive with everything she is involved in,” Spencer said. “It is amazing.”