South Bend International Airport delivers teddy bears to children in local hospitals

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind.—The South Bend International Airport’s 10th annual Bears in the Air program will donate more than 2,000 teddy bears to children in six area hospitals on Monday and Tuesday.

SBN’s CEO and Executive Director Mike Daigle and SBN team members will deliver the bears to Elkhart General Hospital, Saint Joseph Health System, Beacon Children’s Hospital, Spectrum Health Lakeland, Plymouth Medical Center and a Rosie Place for Children over the course of the two days.

“We've completed our 10th annual bears in the air program for our region. We're going to be delivering to five local area hospitals today and tomorrow, plus A Rosie Place, just to help children through the holiday season,” Daigle said. “We know that the way to make where we live a better place is to help one person at a time. And so with doing this, we can help a child and that just makes it better for the holidays.”

Over the last 10 years, the Bears in the Air program has provided nearly 15,000 teddy bears to children in area hospitals.

“It's amazing, big smiles, especially when they're here and they're not feeling well. And then to get a teddy bear it just makes a difference. For some, they’ve never had a teddy bear so it's kind of really cool when we're able to give my teddy bear when they've not had one yet,” said Rosetta Speights, Vice President of Nursing at Elkhart General Hospital.

A monetary donation will also be made to the Robert L. Miller, Sr. Veteran’s Center in January as part of the airport’s program.