For kids who are sick or hurt and have to go to the emergency room or hospital, it can be scary and overwhelming. The American Legion Family in North Dakota uses comfort teddy bears to help make the hospital stays a little less daunting. 
 
In the 1990s, Children’s Miracle Network was a recipient of Child Welfare Foundation funds through the national American Legion. At that time, the Children’s Miracle Network had a teddy bear program. Since then, a similar bear program was revitalized occasionally over the years at the state level. In 2021, a teddy bear program began again in North Dakota and continues to thrive throughout the state with the help of Legion Family members. 
 
“Although started by The American Legion Children & Youth Committee, it quickly became an American Legion Family program at one of our North Dakota conferences when we had members sign up to be sponsors for each of the 45 hospitals across the state,” said North Dakota ALA Unit 135 member Judy Twete. “They would contact the hospitals in the communities they selected and explain the program to them, and have bears available as needed.”
 
Last year, the North Dakota Family supplied approximately 1,500 bears. Recently, 2,000 more bears and 450 puppies were ordered. 
 
“Years ago, it was difficult to get money for our C&Y programs,” Twete said. “Since this program started, the monetary donations from the many posts and units in the department are great.” 
 
American Legion Auxiliary members serve as the contact persons for 70% of the hospitals, and they place support animals at the facilities. 
 
The stuffed bears are also utilized in other ways to help communities throughout North Dakota.
 
“The original goal was for the Legion to have these available to the hospitals, but we have no problem with some of the posts or units on their own expanding the program in their communities where they are sharing bears and puppies with their local ambulance, fire, and sheriff departments to distribute in stressful situations where children are involved,” Twete said. 
 
Volunteers always bring back positive stories of children’s reactions from receiving the teddy bear. 
 
“Their stories from the hospital contacts are great, and those thank-you cards and letters from the children and parents are so thankful for the bears and puppies,” she said. 
 
Like the kids, the response from the hospitals is overwhelmingly positive.
 
“The volunteers have been encouraged to have a good relationship with the hospital contact and to check on the usage and need for more bears,” Twete said. “Some communities have very small hospitals and don’t go through many bears but are still very appreciative and are more than glad to participate. We are so appreciative with their cooperation with this program, as not only are we thankful with the fact that they are the ones using their discretion as to who should get the bears, but also doing the presentation. This working together has helped make this a successful program.”
North Dakota also partnered with another department in this endeavor — members came across an article that explained Wisconsin’s similar program, which uses a puppy instead of a teddy bear. 
 
“They give out a beautiful stuffed puppy to children of Reserves who are getting deployed,” Twete said. “Rather than reinventing the wheel, they agreed to supply us with puppies as needed, and they are very popular. The puppies have all logos of the Legion Family on their T-shirts.” 
 
The program is a great way to help children in communities throughout North Dakota and for the Family to come together. Other departments could implement similar programs at the state level, giving comfort to children in their time of need. 
 
“As with other Legion Family youth programs,” Twete said, “this is just great public relations for The American Legion Family.”