Thousands of plush teddy bears were delivered to NICUs and emergency rooms across Yuma County on Wednesday.
The bears were delivered by the Foothills Cruisers Car Club as the group marked the 10th anniversary of the donation.
The teddy bears are purchased using proceeds from entry fees at the club’s annual car show. The group then donates the new bears to health care organizations throughout the community.
The main stop on the tour was at Onvida Health in Yuma, where the car club dropped off 1,200 teddy bears.
Doris Casey with the Foothills Cruisers Car Club is a retired nurse, making the event a highlight for her as she knows firsthand what it’s like to see patients receive a teddy bear.
“This is our tenth year delivering stuffed animals to the kids at the hospital. When they come in, they’re scared and panicky, so if we can calm them down before they have a procedure, we give them a stuffed animal and it’s theirs to take home with them,” said Casey.
Casey said the neat thing about the bears is that it also creates a learning moment. If a child is getting a bandage or a test done, they can mimic the procedure by giving the bear a bandage, too.
“If they come in with a broken bone, the stuffed animal will get a dressing on its arm, too, or its leg, so they can relate to that and have something to hug and not feel so scared.”
While most of the bears go to children, they are also sometimes given to adult patients who could use a little comfort.
“We’ve had adults that have come in and need something to snuggle,” said Casey.
Onvida Health said the car club has delivered more than 12,000 bears over the past 10 years.
Rosa Rubio, a NICU pediatric nurse for more than 20 years, has been present for many of those deliveries.
She said it’s always a fun time to see the bears delivered, and Onvida Health staff are there to receive them with a warm welcome.
“These teddy bears allow us to bring a smile to pediatric patients’ faces. They are going through a traumatic experience, a difficult time, and we’re able to give them a little bit of comfort with these stuffed animals,” said Rubio.
