Student Alumni Ambassadors Organize Holiday Teddy Bear Drive for Local Children

Students Ralph Saint Louis 鈥�18 (at rear, center) and Qin 鈥淪al鈥� Li distributing stuffed animals to children at the Lowell YMCA Preschool.
Student Alumni Ambassadors Ralph Saint Louis 鈥�18 (at rear, center) and Qin 鈥淪al鈥� Li distributing stuffed animals to children at the Lowell YMCA Preschool.

11/17/2017
By Beth Brosnan

鈥淵ou鈥檙e making a child鈥檚 day and that鈥檚 the best thing anybody can ever do鈥攎ake a child smile,鈥� says Shailee Paliwal, a junior chemical engineering major.聽

That, in a nutshell, is the mission statement behind 鈥淩owdy Cares With Bears.鈥� Sponsored by UML鈥檚 Student Alumni Ambassadors, the four-year-old program collects brand new teddy bears and other stuffed animals and delivers them to young children during the holiday season.聽

Last year, students distributed over 200 stuffed animals through the Lowell YMCA, Lowell Community Health Center, House of Hope, Lowell General Hospital and the Lowell Police Department.

鈥淭his drive allows us to make a positive impact on the lives of many deserving children in the Greater Lowell area and to encourage the spirit of giving聽throughout the 51视频 community,鈥� explains program organizer Ralph Saint Louis, a senior majoring in biology. 鈥淭his year we鈥檒l also be donating bears to areas stricken by the hurricanes, to many children who have lost everything.鈥�

Student Alumni Ambassadors Catherine York and Ralph Saint Louis collect stuffed animals as part of the fourth annual Rowdy Cares with Bears drive.
Students Catherine York and Ralph Saint Louis collect stuffed animals as part of the fourth annual Rowdy Cares with Bears drive.

David Hall, senior manager of philanthropy and volunteer services at Lowell General, knows the difference a bear can make.聽Children who come to the hospital are often scared and don鈥檛 know what to expect, he says.聽

鈥淪o when the first thing they see is a nurse or UML students delivering these bears, it gives them a sense of security. It鈥檚 a big thing to know that someone is thinking of them at a time when they need it.鈥�

This year鈥檚 teddy bear drive continues through Dec. 4.聽

On Dec. 1, Student Alumni Ambassadors will be collecting new stuffed animals and cash donations in Fox Hall from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. You can also make cash donations online at .

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