Teddy Bear Project seeks to comfort kids

April Klassen - Features Beat

A montage of tragic and encouraging messages cover one of the walls of the American Red Cross Family Center in New York.

As Appalachian State University graduate Crystal Blair studied the wall set up for posting information about people lost in the World Trade Center tragedy, one message caught her eye.

Scribbled in elementary-style handwriting, the message read, “Daddy, please don’t leave me.”

As a volunteer in New York, Blair witnessed and heard accounts of several children who lost parents in the destruction of the colossal towers.

Blair told the story of one girl, only nine years old, who lost her mother in a car accident.

A few weeks after the accident, the girl became an orphan when her father was trapped inside the now-destroyed towers.

With the number missing in the towers now totaling more than 6,000, there are countless other children just like her.

These children are the reason Bill Farthing, a worker with the Cannon Sloop Health Care Foundation, began the Teddy Bear Project.

The project is a joint effort between Cannon Memorial Hospital in Linville, Watauga Medical Center in Boone and Crossnore School for Children in Crossnore.

Farthing said the goal is to collect as many teddy bears as possible from residents of Watauga County and the surrounding area and ship them to children in New York who lost parents and family members in the tragedy.

Farthing searched for ways to help those in need.

He did not want to jump on the bandwagon of sponsoring blood drives or donating money to various organizations, so he checked with the Health Service Center at Cannon Memorial to see if there was an original way the hospital could help the victims.

“They suggested we join a teddy bear drive for children who lost parents, were devastated or confused because teddy bears sometimes help bring comfort,” said Farthing.

Satisfied with the suggestion, Farthing set up a teddy bear drive, working through the National Children’s Defense Fund. He then contacted Watauga Memorial Hospital to be a drop-off point for residents in Boone donating teddy bears.

The Crossnore School for Children, a temporary home and school for children who cannot live with their families, also became involved through a common marketer with Cannon Memorial, according to Martha Hill, manager of the Blair Fraley Sales Store where donators will leave the teddy bears.

Because Crossnore is producing a special teddy bear to benefit their children, the school’s marketer suggested they become a drop-off point. “If customers buy our teddy bear and then donate it, they will help Crossnore children and the children in New York,” said Hill.

Experienced weavers who work for Crossnore weave each teddy bear by hand with chenille. The teddy bears are then sold for $50 in the Blair Fraley store where all proceeds go to the children at the school.

Hill believes the teddy bear drive will positively affect the suffering children in New York. “I think it will benefit them just to know other people care about their loss and tragedy,” said Hill.

ASU supportive of effort
Many students at Appalachian State University agree. “I think the kids will definitely appreciate it. It will not replace the loss that they feel, but it’s a great idea.” said senior Chris Cooper. “Anything that can be done to bring smiles to these kids faces will definitely be worth the effort”

Cooper said he feels the teddy bear drive can also benefit Appalachian students. “I think it will give ASU students a chance to feel we are contributing and will help us feel connected and feel like we are helping out.”

Upon hearing about the drive, senior Brooke Davis immediately became interested and wanted to find where she could donate a teddy bear.

She said she feels confident Appalachian students will want to become involved. “I think students will be interested if it’s publicized enough. If they know about it, they will participate – especially organizations.

“It’s a very thoughtful thing to do and a way to make us feel better. It’s something we can do to help,” said Davis.

The drive will make people more aware of the effects of the tragedy, she said.” I see the statistics, the number of people dead. It will help us remember children were affected.”

A way to cope, help
Dr. Pamela Kidder Ashley, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, is a school psychologist who works with children.

The teddy bear drive will help children and adults cope with the tragedy whether they are giving or receiving, she said.

“I think these sort of projects help on both ends,” said Ashley. “It helps the children conducting the drive, helps them cope by doing something positive and helping other children.”

“It also helps on the receiving end. It is certainly not going to heal all the wounds, but it certainly can’t hurt. It gives children a glimmer of hope and lets them know there are good people in the world and not only evil and that people far away care about them,” said Ashley. “It also brings healing for adults involved. We all feel helpless in situations like this, so it is good for us.”

Ashley’s comments reflect the main purpose of the drive, said Scott Wall, director of the Behavioral Health Center at Cannon Memorial.

“Now more than ever we need to show children we care for them. The Teddy Bear Project gives people the opportunity to express their concern and gives children a sense that they can help,” said Wall.

Blair witnessed firsthand how teddy bears bring comfort to the suffering children.

A few children were given donated teddy bears at the Family Center. She testified that the children clung to the teddy bears. “They’re happy to have them to hold onto,” said Blair.

After the teddy bears are collected, Boone-based Hollar and Greene Produce Company will transport them to Rutgers University in Newark, N.J.

Jeff Hoeger, head of the counseling services department at Rutgers, will coordinate the distribution of the teddy bears in New York through referal national agencies.

Appalachian State University joined the effort yesterday, setting up a teddy bear collection box in Plemmons Student Union at the bottom of the stairs outside Cascades Cafe.

The second drop-off point in Boone is Watauga Medical Center, located at 336 Deerfield Rd.

The last collection day will be Oct.3.

Teddy bears must be new and wrapped in plastic or small garbage bags to keep them protected for health purposes.