Tiny dancing donor

The Pacific Symphony’s newest donor, Chrissa Beilby, had a prime seat for rehearsals Wednesday afternoon. Perched behind harpist Mindy Ball, she grinned as the orchestra roared through portions of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” even making motions along with the young ballet dancers.

No, Chrissa isn’t your average donor. The 6-year-old student at an Irvine Jewish day school, who donated $37.30, collected every cent herself, crushing cans and returning 10% of the recycling money to a traditional tzedakah box, which holds money for charitable purposes, grandfather John Beaver said.

Beaver installed a can crusher on the fence where they and Chrissa’s grandmother all live, he said.

Also part of the deal: Any money Chrissa found on the ground went into the box as well. That’s her idea, Beaver said.

“She told us, ‘It fell out of God’s pockets, so it doesn’t belong to me,’” Beaver said.

Chrissa has donated the full box before, to Ronald McDonald House, Pets in Need and Pennies for Pets.

The choice of the Pacific Symphony came after she sat in on a Halloween concert, she said. Her whole goal, she said, was to make sure kids would keep getting to see the symphony’s family concerts.

“It was the Halloween Spooktacular,” said Chrissa, who was very particular about its name. “When the organ was playing, it was so beautiful.”

As young dancers and the veteran musicians rehearsed for the upcoming “Nutcracker for Kids” show, Chrissa watched attentively. Sometimes up by family friend Ball, and sometimes down in the seats, she occasionally twirled along to the music.

“I used to do ballet,” she said of her dancing. As for the show, she was all ready, having seen the Nutcracker before: “Yeah, I can’t wait. I’m so excited.”