Adam Smith along with Tarleton Football, Athletic Trainers, and the Kinesiology Department are collecting stuffed toy bears to be donated to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth until the end of the day.

“The Teddy Bear Drive is a well-known donation,” Smith said. “The bears are given to kids to help keep them calm during their hospital stay. They are also given to anyone who is there supporting a child, such as the mothers, fathers and siblings.”

The teddy bears are known as PrayerBears. They are given to the chaplains to bless and then given to the kids.

“It makes a huge difference to the kids and their families,” Smith said. “It lets them know someone is out there thinking about them.”

Teddy bears can be dropped off at the Tarleton Football Field house, the Champions Club and in Room 171 of Wisdom Gym.

“I am even accepting the bears out of my dorm room, North Traditions room 306B,” Smith said.

Donated bears are required to be new with tags attached, have no religious affiliation on them, no sound and no lights.

“We want the bears to be new and clean because some of the kids could have allergies,” Smith said. “They also can not have any batteries because it could interfere with some of the children’s medical equipment.”

“I will personally be delivering the bears on the second week of April,” Smith said. “I will bring back photographs of the kids and their families with the bears if anyone that contributed would like to see their donation make a difference.”

This is the fifth time Smith has organized a teddy bear drive.

“When I was in high school, I suffered from a stroke and was taken to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth,” Smith said. “Ever since, I have wanted to give back, and I felt like donating the PrayerBears was one of the most effective ways.”

Smith said he always tries to organize his drives around March, but anyone can donate a bear to Cook’s Hospital at any time.

“I collect bears around this time of year for my birthday,” he said. “I don’t ever ask my family or friends for birthday gifts; instead, I ask them to give me bears that I can pass on to Cook’s.”

To find out more information about the teddy bear drive, contact Smith at [email protected].

“I just ask that when someone donates a bear, they send it with lots of love and hope,” Smith said.