Girl's Elephant to Stand Next to Celebs' in Dana Point

Morgan Finelt was at the beach, like many south Orange County students, earlier this month when she got news that someone from school was trying to get ahold of her.

That’s not usually the kind of call a carefree, happy-go-lucky kid wants to get in the precious, school-free weeks of summer.

But in this case, it was.

Finelt, who just left behind the world of Ambuehl Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano, headed for Marco Forster Middle School in fall, was one of 200 throughout Capistrano Unified School District who had decorated a miniature, Fiberglas elephant. And hers was deemed best.

“Are you pranking me? Are you pranking me?” she asked her dad, Michael, when he tracked her down at the beach.

What this means is that her design, which features rows of colorful diamonds, is being transposed on a 6-foot tall elephant and will join dozens of other elephants in a 10-week tour launching in Dana Point on Aug. 23.

 In November, “Bright Beauty” will be auctioned off with 15 percent of proceeds going to Ambuehl Elementary. 

Just before school got out in June, more than 2,000 fourth- and fifth-graders from 18 Capo Unified elementary schools, experienced a two-week curriculum about the Asian elephant, a critically endangered species, according to the Asian Elephant Foundation.

Vicki Finelt, Morgan’s mom (and a Patch freelance photographer), said her daughter came home every day with new information to impart to the family.

“The story of the elephants really touched her,” Vicki Finelt said.

Morgan Finelt said she went through several practice drawings on paper before she arrived at final design. When the 6-foot version makes its debut at at Doheny Beach, it will stand alongside those designed by Tommy Hilfiger, Katy Perry, and Diane von Furstenberg. Then the “herd” will be dispersed throughout Dana Point at the harbor, local beaches, public parks and resort properties for two months.

One of the judges, Rob Koscelnik, general manager of the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Doheny Beach – Dana Point, said he was “impressed by Morgan’s beautiful design and attention to detail. Her humanitarian spirit, and enthusiasm for the Elephant Parade, clearly shines through her work.”