Good News Bears

The CHBC Good News Bears are back!

Get ready to meet a brand new batch of Good News Bears! Work is now underway on the wonderful, handcrafted Teddy Bears that spread Christmas Joy. You’ll be able to see the bears on CHBC News during the Christmas season. They’ll also tour Okanagan malls, so you can see them in person.

CHBC’s Good News Bears support more than two dozen local food banks. Last year, thanks to your generosity, the program raised over $223,789. The money was used to help thousands of families in need in the Okanagan/Similkameen/Shuswap regions. People who depend on food banks during the holiday season include pensioners on fixed incomes, workers who have been laid off, single parents, and the working poor. (CHBC News covers the entire cost of the program, so every penny we raise goes directly to charity.)

History of the Bears

The program started, virtually by accident, in 1989. Shortly before Christmas a hand-crafted Teddy Bear was donated to CHBC News. It was raffled off to a viewer for $800 and the proceeds went to a local food bank. Over the years the number of bears increased, as did donations. Since its inception the program has raised over$2.86 million.

The bears are donated by individuals, companies, unions, the RCMP, fire departments and service organizations. Everyone who makes a donation to a local food bank during the campaign becomes eligible to win one of these unique, collectable bears. Donors specify which food bank they’d like to support, so their money stays in the community.

Send your donation to CHBC News – Good News Bears, 342 Leon Ave, Kelowna, BC, V1Y 6J2. Make the cheque out to the Food Bank of your choice.

Every single Good News Bear is hand-made. We limit the number of bears, so a number of potential sponsors are disappointed every year.

They’re cute. They’re cuddly.

They promote your organization.

They are prized collector items.

Best of all,

they raise money for

food banks in your community

Want to order one from Totally Bear? Email: lisaold1@telus.net

Winners list:

* 2008

The Good News Bears promotion is a unique effort to support local food banks at a very challenging time of year. Take a look at the "good news" represented in the following numbers:

Take a look at the funding

1989

1,

$800.00

1990

4

$13,000.00

1991

13

$19,000 2

1992

19

$37,000

1993

44

$63,000

1994/td>

51

$79,200.00

1995

77

$122,500.00

1996

91

$173,124.00

1997

144

$168,000.00

1998

144

$183,724.75

1999

173

$165,180.56

2000

135

$152,971.35

2001

100

$169,087.13

2002

120

$197,781.63

2003

135

$240,300.55

2004

131

$211,000.00

2005

90

$221,362.00

2006

110

$223,000.00

2007

110

$198,336.00

2008

87

$223,789.02

TOTAL

Over $2.8 Million