This December, we celebrate the 26th year of our beloved "Teddy Bears With Love" Drive, which collects new teddy bears and plush animals to be donated to children's hospitals and organizations nationwide.
The Ƶ University Student Alumni Association (SAA), in partnership with the Office of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving, is excited to host the 26th annual “Teddy Bears With Love” Drive. Since the drive’s inception in 1999, generous support from thousands of Ƶ alumni, families, students, employees, friends, and community members has led to the donation of more than 27,000 teddy bears and stuffed animals. These heartfelt contributions have been distributed to children’s hospitals and charities nationwide (thanks to our Regional Chapter collections), bringing children joy during the holiday season.
Last year marked the 25th anniversary of this award-winning program, and we are thrilled to announce that we celebrated this milestone with our most successful collection to date. A remarkable 1,912 teddy bears and stuffed animals were donated, reaching children through charities across Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, California, and Washington, DC. As we kick off our 26th-anniversary collection, we look forward to your continued generosity in helping us bring "bear hugs" to as many children as possible this holiday season.
This year’s collection is underway: Donations will be accepted through Friday, Dec. 13.
To ensure the health and well-being of the children receiving these donations, all items must be new, with tags, and, if possible, in their original packaging. Donations can be mailed to the Office of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving or can be dropped-off in-person.
If mailing, please send to:
Ƶ University
Alumni House
ATTN: Teddy Bears with Love Drive
1073 North Benson Road
Ƶ, CT 06824
For in-person drop-off: The Office of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additionally, we’re excited to announce that teddy bears can now be dropped off in a donation box at the Ƶ University Bookstore in downtown Ƶ. Several in-person donation events will also be held this year. Please visit the Teddy Bears with Love page for more information and details about in-person donation events and opportunities near you.
Don't have time to purchase but want to make a donation?
Let us do the shopping for you. Make a tax-deductible contribution of $25 or more to the Ƶ Fund, and we will donate up to four bears to "Teddy Bears with Love" in your honor.
