Simsbury Students Donate Hand-Sewn Bears To Police Department

SIMSBURY, CT — A Simsbury class recently sewed 40 stuffed bears and donated them to the Simsbury Police Department for officers to give kids during tough calls, school officials said.

Sharon Geoghan, who teaches family and consumer sciences (FACS) at Henry James Memorial School, was looking for a project that would give back to the community when she found an online teddy bear pattern called "Warren the Charity Bear."

So she shared the pattern with Sara Garthwait, who teaches an eighth-grade FACS class.

Garthwait's students used the pattern to create the bears on May 31, then presented them to Todd Kushman, HJMS' resource officer; and Trevor Brittell, Simsbury High School's resource officer.

"The police officers will keep the bears in their cruisers, to be used on calls where children need a little extra tender loving care," school officials said in a news release.

Garthwait said the bears were made using fleece and other materials that were acquired through donations, and said her students used hand and machine sewing skills to build them.

"The hope is to continue to sew bears and make connections, and possibly even donate to other neighboring organizations and communities," school officials said.