Paradise Valley Students Collect Teddy Bears for Phoenix Fire Department
For the last 13 years, students at Paradise Valley’s Larkspur Elementary School have been collecting teddy bears and other stuffed animals for the Phoenix Fire Department.
Why would a fire department want stuffed animals? According to Fox10, the fire department uses the soft, cuddly friends to comfort the kids they encounter on their calls.
“When we go on calls typically without a bear, we would try to comfort a child traumatized by a family member being sick or injured,” Capt. Robert Johnson told the news organization. “If you give them a bear it works a lot better and puts a smile on their face.”
The program was started by sixth-grade teacher Laurie Ryder started the program in honor of her son, a firefighter who knows the kind of comfort a family can need in a tough time.
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This local update courtesy of your Paradise Valley Community Expert.
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