An upcoming motorcycle cruise is going to put the spotlight on Moose Jaw’s local EMS crew, with organizers looking to raise funds to support Teddy Bears Anonymous and its newest Moose Jaw partner.
Teddy Bears Anonymous is a Regina-based charity organization that gifts teddy bears to sick children in hospital or experiencing ambulance care, as a form of comfort during a scary time.
Moose Jaw & District EMS is the 37th EMS depot in Saskatchewan to partner with the charity, and the first partner in Moose Jaw. Local crews will now be providing the exclusive brown, black or white teddy bears to kids in their care.
Chief Kyle Sereda said that they are excited to have the recognizable stuffed animals riding in Moose Jaw rigs, as they offer not only comfort to young patients in a potentially traumatic situation but also a chance for paramedics to connect with kids.
“When we transport children, it's obviously a very scary situation, and having a teddy bear for that young child is kind of an ice breaker,” said Sereda. “It alleviates a bit of the anxiety, [and] shows some trust, gets the child’s attention maybe away from the injury or illness. And sometimes, they’ll use it as a prop with kids, to coach them [on procedures] or say, ‘show me on the bear where it hurts.’”
Sereda said that Moose Jaw EMS has operated a similar type of program for young patients for a while already, even using stuffed animals in educational clinics, but the new partnership with Teddy Bears Anonymous is a great move for the depot.
Moose Jaw paramedics with a pair of young patients and their teddy bears. (Supplied)Participants will meet in the parking lot at the Southland Mall in Regina and travel down the highway to the A&W on the north service road in Moose Jaw.
The event is taking donations raised by participants or offered by the community to help support the program. Individuals who aren’t motorcyclists can still take part and sponsor a rider by donating online through the Teddy Bears Anonymous website, making mention of the event and rider’s name in the comments.
All funds raised will be used to purchase the bears that Teddy Bears Anonymous partners supply to children across the province, which cost about $5 per bear.
Moose Jaw EMS will be on-site at A&W the day of the cruise, and Sereda encourages the community to consider offering some support to the fundraiser.
“It's just an easy way to support kids who have experienced traumatic injuries or medical emergencies where we’d utilize these bears,” said Sereda.
Those interested in taking part in Bikers for Bears can register by contacting tba@sasktel.net prior to the event, to begin fundraising.
For more information on Teddy Bears Anonymous and what they do, visit teddybearsanonymous.ca.
