Car Donation News Updates

Bears to the Rescue

March 10, 2008

It was one month ago this day that the lives of Charlotte Echols and her 2 year old son were shaken by a traumatic car accident.

Mrs. Echols reflects upon the incident, & recalls one of the lighter moments, a moment when her distraught son received a cute and cuddly brown bunny rabbit. She then remarked that he normally didn’t like stuffed animals, and that this particular bunny had something special.

Coincidentally Mrs. Echols works for the very group that is responsible for supplying Police, Firemen and other emergency personnel with teddy bears & stuffed animals - the American Advertising Federation, Wichita Falls Group.

It’s called the Hug-A-Bear program, and members of the AAF estimate that the city will need 1,000 to 1,200 bears a year. The bears will be placed in squad cars where officers can give them to children or even you adults who find themselves in traffic accidents, domestic disputes or any other traumatic situations.

We asked Officer Harold McClure to comment. He said, more often than not policemen encounter situations where children have been the victim or witnessed a tragic incident.

Unfortunately, officers often do run into cases in which children have witnessed or suffered some sort of trauma, said Officer Harold McClure, a public information officer for the Wichita Falls Police Department.

Echols explained the importance of this program and told us what people can do to help.

“What everyone can do— and for about the price of a fast food meal — is buy a bear and drop it off at a designated location in town.”

Promotion for the Stuffed Animal Drop Box will be handled by various companies including KAUZ-TV & GAP Broadcasting, Times Record News and KFDX-TV.

Dave Diamond, AAF president told us that they will need approximately 1,200 bears this year, and that they need everyone in the community to get involved and contribute to this wonderful motion.

About Our Program

Emergency situations can place a child in an especially vulnerable position to upset, trauma and harm. It is important that something is done about this. The Teddy Bear Cops™ Program is doing something about it. They are giving cuddly little bears to children at times like these and it is having a marvelous and calming effect. There are police, ambulance and fire officials all over the country that have found this to be true and need and want more bears. We hope you will support this cause by donating your car or any vehicle.