While deciding on a community service project, members of North Ridge Elementary’s student council knew they wanted benefit the children going through treatments or illness at Covenant Children's Hospital. Soon thereafter, the idea to hold a Teddy Bear Drive benefiting the Covenant Children’s Hospital was born.  

The drive was held during the week of November 14, anyone could drop off teddy bears and other stuffed animals in collection bins. At the end of the week, the student council members were excited to check the collection bins and count the bears. Fourteen of the students met at Covenant Children's Hospital on Wednesday to deliver the 289 collected stuffed animals.  

A representative from the hospital told the students about how they would distribute the bears to the children and the joy it would bring them. She explained how being in the hospital is very scary for children and having a ‘friend’ can be helpful in soothing that fear.  

The students enjoyed the experience of helping others. A parent even expressed thankfulness “for what values are being instilled in the students of helping others".  

“It was a very wonderful and fulfilling project,” said Marla Dabbert, the North Ridge Student Council Advisor. “It was a wonderful experience to see the joy the students experienced by doing something for someone else, and the genuine sense of excitement to actually get to deliver the bears to the hospital themself.”