First graders make comforting donation for area children

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Snuggling a teddy bear can help to calm the nerves of anybody in a scary situation. The first graders at Lewis & Clark Elementary School are making sure children at Essentia Health feel that comfort.

The students collected 80 new stuffed animals during their We Care Bears donation drive February 9-16. Donations came in from school staff, students, families, and the community.

The first graders in the Gifted and Talented program donated the teddy bears and other stuffed animals to Essentia Health on Tuesday, March 7. Stuffed animals will also be donated to the YWCA.

We Care Bears is a national project started by Jessica Carscadden of San Diego, California in 2013. She was comforted by her stuffed animals while in an orphanage in China. She was eventually adopted and gave her stuffed animals to the San Diego Fire and Police Departments to help other scared children be comforted in a time of need.

Now, many states have teddy bear donation drives. The Gifted and Talented students at Lewis & Clark have run the We Care Bears service project each year since 2017.