On Saturday, December 9, the children at Akron Children’s Hospital of Mahoning
Valley were the recipients of 21 soft, cuddly teddy bear from The Hope Foundation of the Mahoning
Valley.
The bears were created from the children’s own special lists that they made for themselves. The
children were able to choose the name for their bear, clothing and even the accessories to make their
individual bear a one-of-a-kind teddy bear of their very own.
“Bringing a bit of joy to children who are ill and have to be in the hospital is why I wanted to chair the
Build a Bear event again this year,” stated Rey Esparra, Board Member of The Hope Foundation of the
Mahoning Valley.
For over 100 years, teddy bears have been bringing smiles to people’s faces and warming their hearts.
And the best part is that when a child is feeling down, scared or not well they can reach for the teddy
bear and hold onto it and hug it to help ease their fears. The bears provide support and comfort to
children who are battling serious illnesses and this has always been the mission of The Hope
Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.
