ABQ offering support to Newtown victims

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - New Mexicans are finding ways of offering and showing their support to the victims of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Clear Channel New Mexico partnered up with the company's group in Connecticut to collect the stuffed bears. The collection began on Monday and within hours, dozens of the stuffed animals started showing up.

"Well I'm a pre-school teacher and I would hate for my children to have to go through a thing like this," says Olga Ortiz from the City of Albuquerque Child Development which collected stuffed animals. "So we did it, we got donations so we decided to bring them here."

"After such a horrible tragedy, people want to do something and this kind of helps them do something to help out," says Chuck Hammond, Marketing Manager for Clear Channel New Mexico.

That collection from Clear Channel New Mexico will go on through Friday morning at 10 a.m. They are accepting the bears at their offices near Jefferson Boulevard and Interstate 25.

Albuquerque schools Atrisco Heritage and Volcano Vista High School are both doing efforts this week in showing support to the Newtown victims and families.

Atrisco Heritage students are signing a 30-foot plus banner with words of support which will be sent to the school in Connecticut. While Volcano Vista High School students are also collecting stuffed teddy bears which will be sent to the school in Newtown.