Build-A-Bear Is Pairing Stuffed Support Animals With Young Learners In Need

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When taking on a new learning curve, it helps if you have a friend with you—and maybe some snuggles too.

In time for National Teddy Bear Day, the Build-A-Bear Foundation is gifting “at least 50,000 fuzzy hugs” to classrooms and students in need, per a press release cited by Southern Living. The brand believes a little cuddle with an adorable stuffed animal can make all the difference in a child’s life, and studies have shown that huddling up with one over a book can help instill a love of reading.

The new objective more than doubles the organization’s goal last year to reach 20,000 students.

Image via Build-A-Bear

Under this ‘Buy a Bear, Give a Bear’ initiative, customers can head to their local Build-A-Bear Workshop on September 9, National Teddy Bear Day, and adopt a fluffy buddy for themselves, which in turn makes a corresponding stuffed support animal available to a child or classroom who will need the companionship. Shoppers can also purchase their personalized teddy bears online. 

Sharon Price, Build-A-Bear’s president and CEO, says the program will give back to the community by providing it with teddy bears that have long brought comfort and joy to individuals.

Chris Hurt, the president of the Build-A-Bear Foundation, underscores the significance of prioritizing education and reading in shaping a child's future success both in and beyond school, and says it’s a collective responsibility to actively support literacy efforts.

The warm initiative serves as a means to create a positive impact on numerous children’s lives, nurturing a love for reading and learning right from the early stages, Hurt elaborates.

[via Southern Living and Toybook, images via various sources]