Shelburne, VT-September 8, 2005-In the wake of the tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina, many children have been left scared and confused in shelters around Louisiana. In an effort to provide some comfort to the littlest flood victims, The Vermont Teddy Bear Company sent 1,000 Little Hero^® Bears to Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Friday, September 2nd. The Company will also be donating 3,000 more Little Hero^® Bears in the hope that these teddy bears will provide children some happiness and comfort during such a sad time.

 

 

"With all the evacuations, there is an extreme amount of families that have migrated here," says Karen Musselman of the Department of Emergency Medical Services in Baton Rouge, LA. "Most of these families have lost everything except for the clothes on their backs. As adorable as these bears are, I think the Friend for Life theme will help make the situation a little better for these youngsters."

 

 

In addition to donating 4,000 Little Hero^® Bears to Louisiana rescue personnel, The Vermont Teddy Bear Company plans to match all employee donations towards either a specific shelter within the affected region, or to the Salvation Army. The employees of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company have also gotten creative in their fund-raising efforts by organizing a bake sale and farmers market, a loose change war, donation of food and clothing, and a raffle in the Bear Shop at the Company's factory store in Shelburne that will continue until September 30th.

 

The donation of 4,000 Little Hero^® Bears is made possible by support for the Friend For Life^™Program, www.FriendforLife.org. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company launched its Friend for Life Program in September 2002 to more effectively meet the ever-growing need for rescue teddy bears. Rescue personnel have found that teddy bears provide welcomed on-site and in-transit comfort to children involved in house fires, car crashes, and other traumatic events. In times of crisis, children respond positively to the familiar comfort of a teddy bear. At present, over 600 Fire Departments and Rescue personnel across the country have received over 5,000 Little Hero^® Bears.

 

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is the nation's largest maker of handcrafted bears, making more than 450,000 a year for its Bear-Gram^® gift delivery service and for sale out of its Shelburne and Waterbury, Vermont Bear Shops. For more information about The Vermont Teddy Bear Company, call 1-800-829-BEAR or log on to www.VermontTeddyBear.com.