Cub Scouts bear stuffed tidings

Dane Grace

Some local Cub Scouts couldn’t relish their cuddly creations, but by

building their stuffed bears, they were reminded of the spirit of

giving.

A Newport Beach Cub Scout pack joined forces with Operation

TeddyCare -- a nonprofit group that collects and distributes teddy

bears to children in need -- and a Build-a-Bear Workshop at Fashion

Island Tuesday. Scout Pack No. 10, Den No. 6, a troop of 7- and

8-year-old children, paid $10 apiece to build a teddy bear to give to

Operation TeddyCare, which will give away the bears.

For the holiday season, troop leaders taught the children what it

means to give -- and the meaning of the word philanthropy. Event

organizer Lisa Johnson, mother of 8-year-old scout Wills Johnson,

said she thought the event was a success.

“I think [the scouts] clued in completely and realized that there

is a place out there -- that there is a need for some help and they

could help this need,” Johnson said.

Den master Robert Fisher said the event resonated with the five

scouts and two of their siblings. Building and giving away the bears

gave them a sense of giving more than a simple donation.

“The kids had a ball, and it was a good lesson to them, because

most of them didn’t want to part with their bear,” Fisher said. “If

they were to give $10 to a charity, they wouldn’t think anything of

it.”

This sort of event isn’t new to the Build-a-Bear workshops, a

nationwide company that lets customers build their own bears. The

company hosts its own philanthropic events, like the annual Stuffed

with Hugs. The workshops are so accustomed to scout troops coming

into scheduled events that the stores stock patches for the kids.

The boys in Pack 10 become more engrossed in the event by making

the item they donate, said Rhonda Rhoades, an employee with the

Fashion Island workshop.

“I think it’s great,” Rhoades said. “It’s more than just picking

something up off the shelves. They’re putting some of themselves into

it.”

Wills Johnson said he “was kind of sad” to give up his bear, but

he knew it was for a good cause. “They knew it was good for people

that really need it,” Johnson said.