For a sick and possibly scared child, receiving a teddy bear or other stuffed animal can be a source of comfort. And that is what revs up the San Diego Regional Law Enforcement Teddy Bear Drive.
Probation Chief Mack Jenkins and retired Correctional Deputy Probation Officer Dionne Murphy hold up some bears donated at a previous Teddy Bear Drive.
The San Diego County Probation Department and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department are cohosting this year’s Teddy Bear Drive, benefitting Rady Children’s Hospital.
“Our goal is to make sure that every kid that gets admitted to Rady Children’s Hospital gets a teddy bear or stuffed animal,” said Deputy Probation Officer Sean Griffin, who is helping coordinate the event. “If we can provide just a little bit of comfort, it’s well worth it.”
Last year, the drive collected a haul of more than 40,000 stuffed animals, and Griffin says he would love to match or top that number this year.
The drive officially kicked off on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
“It lets us step away from the law enforcement job that we normally have to do and lets us be mothers, fathers, uncles and aunts that we really are,” said San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Rey Lyyjoki about what he enjoys about the teddy bear drive.
He said it is also a way to keep alive the efforts of Coro-nado Police Officer Brian Hardy who started the teddy bear drive in 1990.
All law enforcement offices and courts participate in the drive and collect new stuffed animals or monetary donations from the public. All money collected is used to purchase additional teddy bears when the hospital’s supply starts running low at the end of the year.
You can drop off a new teddy bear or stuffed animal at any Sheriff’s Station or Substation (www.sdsheriff.net/patrol) or County Courthouse (www.sdsheriff.net/courts) from Wednesday, November 12th to Monday, December 8th during business hours.
Transit Agencies, Albertsons and Girl Scouts Join the San Diego Food Bank for Annual Stuff the Bus Food Drive
Calling on San Diego residents to help drive away hunger this holiday season.
More than 460,000 people in San Diego County are impacted by hunger, including 137,000 children. To combat this problem, the Metropolitan Transit System, North County Transit District, Albertsons/Lucky and local Girl Scouts are asking San Diego residents to help drive away hunger with the 7th Annual Stuff the Bus Food Drive during the first week of December.
People can make canned-food donations at any of the 39 San Diego County Albertsons locations from December 1 – 5. Then, on Saturday, December 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., people are invited to help ‘Stuff the Bus’ at select Albertsons and Lucky locations around the county.