A Teddy Bear campaign is bringing smiles to children who need it the most.
Teddy Bears Anonymous, a not-for-profit organization, has been donating bears since 2008 and so far more than 160,000 of their sanitized bears sealed in cellophane bags have comforted children.
The organization is now partnering with Saskatchewan’s RCMP Victim Services Division, and other local community partners, such as Capitol Ford Lincoln and
Sasktel Pioneers, to donate bears to more than 2,000 children across the province.
“They (the RCMP) said it best: it gives them another tool their belt..so if there’s children involved, they’ll make sure that child is gifted with a teddy bear,” said Luke Lawrence, President of the organization.
Teddy Bears Anonymous is entirely operated by volunteers and all of the donations and fundraising goes towards the purchase of teddy bears for sick children in Saskatchewan Hospitals.
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“I’ve said it many times..the bears go where mom and dad can’t go,” Lawrence said.
“If children are coming in by ambulance, they’re gifted with a bear. If they’re going in for surgery they’re gifted with a bear,” Lawrence added.
He also says the inspiration behind the organization is his late daughter, who passed away from a rare form of gastric cancer. Lawrence says her spirit lives on through the bears they give out.
“My daughter would be very proud of the charity and of its accomplishments, especially with us expanding provincially with this partnership,” Lawrence said.
“We want to get the bears out to as many children as possible,” he said.
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