How did we get started?
Our family first began collecting Teddy Bears after the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe, Japan, in 1995.
We wanted to send Teddy Bears since they are America's traditional symbol of love. In 1995, we created 7 fliers and distributed them in our town of Half Moon Bay, CA. Before we knew it, the fliers were copied and distributed to schools, places of worship, and many other organizations nationwide. After the local Half Moon Bay Review newspaper ran a story, it was picked up by other newspapers such as the San Francisco Chronicle, then by TV stations and eventually by CNN.
Our car (after a trip to the mailbox!)
| Each bear is unpacked, inspected, and sorted by size | |
| Then they are counted and stored in clear bags ready for shipping (don't worry, we put air holes in each bag so they can breathe) |
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Then the tragic Oklahoma City bombing occurred and people began sending us Teddy Bears to help there, too. Since that time, people have sent us Teddy Bears for kids throughout the world. In 2002, we became a registered 501.C3 non-profit organization. Due to the gracious assistance of attorney Shauna Matlin (who believes in Teddy Bear power!) we are now able to receive tax-deductible contributions. This allows us to have a real shipping fund. And sometimes we just don't have enough donated Teddy Bears on hand to meet requests, so now we can purchase additional Teddy Bears if necessary in times of emergency. So whether you send a check or one new Teddy Bear, you are helping to comfort children. We accept and distribute Teddy Bears 365 days a year.
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