More than 1,500 newly purchased teddy bears were delivered to kids at Lakeland Health, Memorial Children's Hospital, St. Joseph Health System, and Elkhart General Wednesday and Thursday.

The bears are meant to bring smiles and friendship during a child's time in the hospital.

Each hospital distributed the bears to young patients as they saw fit.

"It touches at your heart strings to see how the impact is felt by some of these children who are not having the best time of the day or a good time at their point in life so to make it a little better for each of them is pretty special,” said Mike Daigle, Executive Director of South Bend International Airport.

The collection program began on December 2nd when travelers and the general public were invited to donate a bear or make a cash donation.

A “bear den” inside a terminal at South Bend International Airport served as a collection point for the bears.