Chapter 443 in Michigan staging 20th annual ride that provides teddy bears to children recovering at area hospital.
For around 15 years, a Michigan Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) organized a charity motorcycle ride that delivered teddy bears to severely injured or ill children receiving care at Covenant Healthcare’s facility in Saginaw. But when the Harley-Davidson dealership affiliated with the group closed down, the run was going to be discontinued.
That’s when members of American Legion Riders Chapter 443 in nearby Sanford decided to step in to keep the run going. And on Aug. 15, the chapter will stage the 20th Teddy Bear Run, bringing more than a thousand teddy bears to the recovering children.
“On a group level, we’re always looking to better the community and make things in the community better for veterans and kids – whatever we can do to help make that better,” ALR Chapter 443 Director Shane Goldberg Talbot said. “When we heard that this ride had just been left, we discussed it and decided it was important to us to continue to bring these teddy bears to what are essentially the sickest kids in our area.
“We decided that was something that was really important, and we wanted to keep it going. And we just picked up where H.O.G. left off and ran with it.”
The teddy bears are donated to Covenant Kids, a fund managed by the Covenant HealthCare Foundation. The fund is dedicated to enhancing care for all Covenant kids, which includes any Covenant patient under the age of 18 and their families.
Covenant HealthCare’s healthcare services for children include an ACS Verified Pediatric Trauma Center, community-based urgent care, a Level III Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a regional Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Chapter 443 fundraises to purchase bears and has collection boxes throughout the community for people to donate either bears or financial donations. Last year, Talbot said, around 65 Legion Riders took part in the actual run, delivering approximately 1,700 bears to Covenant kids.
“Last year was really cool,” Talbot said. “We had a full police escort through Saginaw at around 60 miles an hour. Lights and sirens the whole way. And when we pull into the parking lot, they have a big canopy tent set up. They have snacks and beverages. They have a bunch of employees out in the parking lot. It’s like a grand entrance. Everybody is so excited we’re there and are cheering us on.”
Prior to COVID, the Riders could visit patients throughout the hospital and deliver the bears in-person. Now, though, a smaller group of members of Chapter 443 get the opportunity to talk to a few patients dealing with less critical medical conditions.
“When we get there, they let us know how many people are allowed to go up. Last year it was six,” Talbot said. “Those six people grab a bear and go up. They get a chance to meet a kid and give out the bear. And the reception is great. The parents and the kids are really excited to see them. Some of them are watching out the windows as we pull in. They’re really excited for it.”
This year, because it’s the 20th anniversary of the Teddy Bear Run, Post 443 is inviting participants back to the post afterward to celebrate with a pig roast, live music and karaoke. The post is charging $20 per meal and will use the money raised to either fund a second teddy bear delivery this year or put it toward the 2027 run.
For Talbot, the Teddy Bear Run is more than just about helping children currently receiving care through Covenant Healthcare. It’s also very personal. Twenty-nine years ago, his youngest son received care there after experiencing “a violent delivery. His umbilical cord was wrapped around his throat,” Talbot said. “The first six months of his life really were touch and go whether or not he was going to make it.
“Looking back and remembering, he could have been dead. He barely survived. They took great care of him. He was in their unit for three weeks, and he came home with one of these teddy bears. They’ve always given out teddy bears to the kids. They all go home with one. So it was definitely something I wanted to see continued.”
- Riders