Kids Help Children's Hospital of Orange County

Teens, tweens and CC were out in full force for the Kids Help Children event last month to benefit Children's Hospital of Orange County, aka CHOC.

Mostly girls crowded around the red carpet in one courtyard of the Anaheim Hilton Hotel to catch a glimpse of young stars in attendance. From Chelsea Staub ("Jonas") to Joey King ("Ramona & Beezus"), from Shane Harper ("High School Musical 2") to Ryan Ochoa ("iCarly"), the kings and queens (er, princes and princesses) of the Disney and Nickelodeon set had kids squealing and giggling.



While CC was somewhat immune to the celebrity hype (except for the SeaWorld penguin in attendance), what she did enjoy were all the kid-friendly activities, including a bouncy obstacle course, an amazing balloon artist (left) and a game that involved pirates, prizes and small whiffle balls.

All of the festivities served as a fundraiser and toy drive for CHOC, and specifically the hospital's Child Life program, which supports hospitalized children's need to play, create art and engage in pet therapy.

Kids in attendance, including my own, could also contribute while strengthening their sharing skills. The Kids Help Children "Toy Store" offered a fun opportunity for kids to choose a prize for themselves and a prize for a CHOC patient.

The ticketed event (we were provided press passes) raised an estimated $36,000 in cash and donations.

For more information, or to find out how you can help, visit www.choc.org.