LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — You have to see the smiles to appreciate what this meant. And once you see them, you realize why something like this was so rewarding for the young ladies who make up Harrison County’s Future Farmers of America program.
“It was just a little idea we had at our monthly executive meeting, and originally, our goal was 200,” said FFA director Lacey Short.
Short was referring to the more than 700 teddy bears the girls collected over the last few weeks so they could bring them to patients at Shriners Children’s in Lexington.
“During a game, you throw them on the court,” future farmer Sophie Bowlin explained of the event during high school basketball games.
On Tuesday morning, they stuffed those bears into two SUVs and made the 40-minute drive to Lexington to deliver them.
“Warms your heart seeing the kids’ faces light up,” future farmer Baleigh Mosley said.
The gesture warmed more than just the heart of Patient Care Director Connie Wilson.
“It’s amazing the way the community supports us and our kids,” she said. “It’s really, really miraculous and kind,” she continued before pausing to prevent herself from starting to cry.
Shriners sees between 100-150 patients daily. Miss Short said they collected 759 bears, so several hundred will be inside Shriners for the next several days waiting for patients to take them home.
“Definitely something we need to make an annual thing,” Mosley said.
