On November 14, 2015 people throughout the country celebrated the love of stuffed teddy bears. The traditional childhood icon, has been passed down through countless generations.

Teddy bears received their name from the twenty-sixth president of the United States, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Some people may wonder how Roosevelt got the nickname “Teddy,” and how we eventually started to call stuffed toy bears the same name?

In 1902, Roosevelt went on a hunting expedition and had a lot of difficulty finding bears. However, when he finally found a bear to shoot down, he noticed the bear had bad wounds, and instead of killing it, ordered for the bear to be put down to end it’s suffering.

Once people found out about the event, they were inspired. A candy shop owner decided in honor of Roosevelt to put toy bears in the window of his candy shop, that his wife had made. He later asked Roosevelt if he could call these toys, “teddy” bears, after Roosevelt in his honor.

The variety of teddy bear lovers varies from young children to old collectors. An average child probably goes through countless teddy bears, and still holds on to them as young adults.

But as students get older at Faith Lutheran the more lonely and dejected old childhood teddy bears become. Have you ever thought there might be a better way to make use of these bears, a better home for them to belong too?

Until Christmas break, Mrs. Susan Gentry, Director of Human Resources, will be collecting teddy bears for officers of Las Vegas’s Highway Patrol and Metro Police Officers. Gentry explained that because November 14^th celebrates National Teddy Bear Day and November is a month dedicated to random acts of kindness, Mrs. Stephanie Cannito, Human Resource Assistant, and herself, wanted to partake in this special month and act of kindness.

“The first responders [use the teddy bears] to not only calm and comfort a child, but to get them to open up to go with them [because] they get them at the most traumatic time, and also it helps us to think about others, that’s what Christmas is all about,” said Gentry.

The act is merely an act of generosity, no goals or competition, so if students, parents, or faculty want to donate a teddy bear to Metro and the first responders, they teddy bears can be lightly used. However, if you feel extra generous of course you can go out and buy a teddy bear.

The officers keep the teddy bears in the trunk of there cars, so when they report on a scene with young children involved, they have a small comforting gift to give to them after the chaotic experience they go through.

Even though, Gentry and Cannito will be donating the bears after Christmas break the encourage anyone willing to recycle or buy a bear to give to do anytime of the year because Metro will always take generous gift.