On Wednesday, October 15, the Viewpoint community came together to Build for Love, a hands-on community service project led by Middle School students with support from their Upper School peers. Organized by Patricia Jackson, Chief Belonging and Community Officer, in partnership with the LEGO® Group, the event benefited WeGotThis.org, a nonprofit that operates the first-ever gift registry for cancer patients, helping provide comfort and support to those navigating treatment.

Now in its second year, the initiative brought students together to build LEGO Botanicals for cancer patients as part of a coast-to-coast effort connecting schools and hospitals in California and Massachusetts in a shared mission of creativity, compassion, and service.

“I met Tze Hung of LEGO International 10 years ago while leading a community service reading initiative for children in South LA. Along the way, I served as a preceptor for the building of a TK-12 mental wellness program through Harvard University’s Chan School of Public Health. Research for that award winning program includes studies led by LEGO Prize recipient Dr. Jack Shonkoff, who centered the connection between play and healthy child development,” shared Jackson. “It has been inspiring to combine that research and the relationship with the LEGO Group here at Viewpoint, where students and adults alike embraced the power of play for their own wellbeing while working to bring joy to others.”

Throughout the day, students gathered in Litow Plaza, Webster Family Plaza, and Fletcher Family Library to assemble LEGO flower sets donated by the LEGO Group. Among them was Morgan Taylor ’30, who appreciated the chance to contribute to something impactful.

“We’re building flowers for cancer patients who are currently in the hospital,” she said. “A lot of times people don’t have the opportunity to give, and I wanted to give to the cancer patients and make them happy. If they’re happy, I’m happy.”

Representatives from WeGotThis.org, founded by Elissa Kalver, who is living with metastatic breast cancer, joined students on campus for the event. 

“Sometimes people want to give you flowers, but when you’re going through treatment, live flowers can be difficult. You might be immunocompromised, or watching them fade can be hard,” said Jess Isomoto, a breast cancer survivor and volunteer. “LEGO flowers are different. They’re built with love, they last, and they bring happiness to patients.”

“It’s special to see young people giving back in this way,” added Danita Menchel, also a breast cancer survivor. “As survivors, it means a lot to know that this project supports all types of cancer. Everyone is touched by cancer somehow.”

Tze Hung U from the LEGO Group shared that Build for Love is part of the company’s Local Community Engagement Program (LCE), which connects LEGO employees to local communities through meaningful service projects.

“We’re grateful to have the opportunity to serve,” he said. “Service is one of the highest callings, and this partnership allows us to give back and think beyond ourselves. Through our LCE program, we strive to create a positive impact by serving underserved kids and families in need, and Build for Love reflects our mission to unleash the power of play so children can thrive and build a better world.”

As the partnership between Viewpoint and the LEGO Group continues to grow, so does its impact. This year, even more students and adults alike joined the effort to bring joy and creativity to others through the act of play. Through this initiative, the Viewpoint community continues to show how even small acts of kindness can blossom into something meaningful and long lasting.