The Teddy Bear Project recently learned first-hand about the “alternative to flowers mindset”
when one of our volunteers lost a family member and requested that family and friends make a
donation to our 501c3 non-profit charity in lieu of sending flowers to the celebration of life. We
realized the magnitude of this kind gesture when another donor hand-delivered a large white
teddy bear to our location which she herself had named him as the “Divine Intervention Teddy
Bear.” He had belonged to an elderly lady who had recently passed away, and she was literally
on her way to donate him to the local Goodwill store when she saw our fundraising event at
Bert’s Black Widow Harley Davidson dealer. She told us that her car made the turn into that
parking lot as if it had a mind of its own. She felt that her friend would live on through the teddy
bear by providing comfort and healing to children who are abused, neglected, abandoned and/or
homeless . . . and so he does exactly that.
So, sending teddy bears in lieu of flowers is appropriate for SO many occasions and celebrations
that typically had called for sending flowers, such as birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day,
baby showers and births, engagements, teddy bear themed weddings, graduations, Christmas and
other holidays, However, sending teddy bear grams/gifts do provide certain advantages, for
example, personalization through choice of color or “dress” to commemorate a particular event
or memory, appeal to all age groups, less fragility in shipping, and a greater longevity (years
versus days). There are even creative opportunities for individuals who enjoy crafting or
creating a handmade teddy bear for that special someone knowing that no two teddy bears ever
turn out exactly the same but each one is infused with love . . .