SOUTH BEND – Over 1,000 newly purchased teddy bears have been collected at South Bend International Airport (SBN) as a result of the third annual Bears in the Air program. On Monday, December 22, 2014, SBN’s Executive Director Mike Daigle and SBN team members will present the bears to representatives from the pediatric departments at Memorial Children’s Hospital, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and Lakeland HealthCare. The delivery and presentation to Memorial Children’s Hospital is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., to Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center at 1:00 p.m. and to Lakeland HealthCare at 4:00 p.m.
The bears will offer companionship and smiles during a child’s difficult time. Each hospital will distribute the bears to young patients as they see fit.
The Bears in the Air collection program began on December 5, 2014 when travelers and the general public were invited to donate a newly purchased teddy bear or make a cash donation. The program provides both the donation of teddy bears to children and a cash donation to the Robert L. Miller, Sr. Veteran’s Center. A “Bear Den” inside the terminal served as a collection point for the bears.
