Teddy bears are much needed in tough times. They can help a lot by bringing comfort and warmth. This is why the people at a retirement facility in Eugene spend a lot of their time to make teddy bears for kids in need.
The folks at Cascade Manor Retirement Facility are doing this for the past 10 years. In that time they have made a total of 10 000 teddy bears to donate, KVAL 13 reports.
This Saturday in fact saw the completion of the 10 000th bear which was done with a special celebration. “All these wonderful people have come to stuff these bears for the children. It’s been an honor, and a pleasure. We have camaraderie and a good time together and we’re doing so much good work for other people,” said Cascade Manor resident Jean Carley.
The bears go to a lot of organizations which distribute them to kids in need. One of them is Bags of Love. They work with kids who have been abused, neglected, homeless or poor. “Bags of Love provides these bags that are full of necessities and comfort items, and all of our bags are topped off with some type of a stuffed animal,” said Becky Stenzel, executive director of Bags of Love.
“It’s pretty special. Their eyes light up, and they get a smile on their face and they get that stuffed animal, and it comes right out of the bag and they hold it to their heart,” said Stenzel.
The making of the bears is also a special event. It brings together people of all ages says the organizer Peter Marquardt who works for Cascade Manor. “The youngest we’ve had in here was two or three, and the oldest we’ve had in here was probably around 102,” said Marquardt. “The residents are a part of history and get to share their experiences with the volunteers.”
They also say they are keeping track of each bear over the years. And they also say each bear is as special as the last and all are made with love.
