A recent Beanie Baby drive organized by Bromfield students Sam Peisch and Josh Lyvers made it possible for Harvard residents to reach out and comfort children in Afghanistan. Collection of the stuffed animals took place at Bromfield throughout January, and earlier this month the Peisch family mailed 60 donated Beanie Babies to a Marine station in Afghanistan.

“The idea for the drive was inspired by Kelley Newman, a physician’s assistant in the Marines and a relative of ours,” said Peisch. “My mom and I received an e-mail at the beginning of the year asking for stuffed animals to comfort children [in Afghanistan] who were receiving medical care from U.S. forces.”

Peisch and his mother, Kate Lucey, put up posters to raise awareness, hoping to convey how a gesture as simple as donating an outgrown toy could make such a difference to a less fortunate child on the other side of the globe. They hoped to make it easy for people to drop off the toys by placing a collection box in the Bromfield office, where they also collected donations to help with the cost of shipping the packages to Afghanistan.

“We knew that any number of donations would make a difference,” reflected Peisch, “and we were very happy with the number of Beanie Babies we received and were able to send. It was exciting to have the opportunity to do something here at Bromfield that would have a significant impact on children in a war-torn country thousands of miles away.”