KIDS ACROSS THE VALLEY PITCHING IN TO HELP CAUSE.

Byline: Rick Coca Staff Writer

While other children swim and play video games this Labor Day weekend, more than a few San Fernando Valley kids plan to work up a sweat to raise money to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

From Lancaster and West Hills to Canyon Country, they're washing cars and setting up lemonade stands, joining thousands of other residents across the region Saturday who continued an outpouring of efforts to help bring some relief to the devastated Gulf Coast.

``I want to do it because I really want to help people, and I want them to feel better,'' 9-year-old Sydney Shore of West Hills said of her decision to sell lemonade from a corner stand today. ``And I'll feel better because I know that I'm doing it for them.''

Mark Shore, Sydney's father, was so taken by his daughter's desire to help the hurricane victims that he decided he and his wife, Kimberly, 32, would match any amount Sydney raised at the stand at the corner of Farralone Avenue and Roscoe Boulevard in West Hills.

``I wish I could write a check for a million dollars,'' said Shore, 42, who, like many on Saturday, was still having trouble believing the images showing the enormity of Katrina's wrath.

``In the year 2005, that a city can be completely annihilated and wiped away completely boggles my mind,'' said Shore.

Shore hopes his daughter learns that her small effort can make a difference.

At the Universal Pattern of Martial Arts School in Lancaster, students were surprised Saturday by the announcement that there would be a carwash after class to raise money for the hurricane relief.

``They said, 'Wow, wow, a carwash? I want to help,' '' said 12-year-old Shawn Torres.

Torres' father, Gus Torres, 62, organized the fundraiser with the help of the martial arts school's owner and instructor, Victor Aragon, 33.

Aragon said he responded to the call to help because the teachings of tae kwon do go beyond mere self-defense.

``We have commandments that we follow, and one of them is to help other people and be a good citizen,'' said Aragon, adding that the school hopes to have another carwash fundraiser in the coming weeks.

It's a lesson that was not lost on Shawn.

``We're helping other kids our age, so we can help them have a better home,'' he said.

For 9-year-old Megan Bleiler of Canyon Country, the idea for a lemonade stand came as she and her best friend, Krystal Navarro, 9, were walking to school.

``Now we can help them more and give them a lot of money and that would make everyone happy,'' said Megan, who plans with family and friends to set up her stand on the corner of Whites Canyon Road and Pleasantdale Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday.

``We're going to wear red, white and blue,'' she said.

With the American Red Cross saying Saturday that it had already surpassed its immediate-needs fundraising goal of $130 million by about $60 million, the motivation for giving was summed up by a child.

``It brings my heart full of joy,'' said Megan.

Rick Coca, [phone]

rick.coca(at)dailynews.com

HELPING OUT

Local donation opportunities include:

--Vitello's Restaurant at 4349 Tujunga Blvd., Studio City, will collect cash and check donations for the American Red Cross between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily and donate half of each dinner bill to the organization each Monday in September.

--Customers can donate to the Red Cross at all Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores at checkstands throughout the month of September. Encino-based Gelson's will also take money at its Gelson's and Mayfair markets.

--Local shopping centers, including The Panorama Mall in Panorama City, The Oaks in Thousand Oaks, Northridge Fashion Center, the Glendale Galleria, Burbank Town Center and all Westfield shopping centers will be accepting donated funds for hurricane-related charities.

--The Hogan Family Foundation also announced it will host a ``Jazz O'Cajun'' fundraiser at Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

--On Sept. 10, the Kiwanis Club of Glendale will hold its Incredible Duck Splash from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Glendale in Verdugo Park to raise money for the relief effort.

Here are some of the agencies accepting donations to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina:

--American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Call (800) HELPNOW (435-7669) or [phone] (Spanish); or see www.redcross.org.

--Operation USA, 8320 Melrose Ave., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90069; or call [phone]; or see www.opusa.org.

--Catholic Charities USA, 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund, P.O. Box 25168, Alexandria, VA 22313-9788.

--Salvation Army, Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 4857, Jackson, MS 39296-4857. Call (800) SALARMY (725-2769); or see www.salvationarmy-socal.org.

--The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. Call [phone] or see www.jewishla.org.

--Louisiana State University, Southern California Alumni Association: The chapter plans to host several fundraisers. To donate or for more information, call Charles Jeffrey at [phone]; or see www.lsusocal.org

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HELPING OUT (see text)