It was a night full of community support in Green Bay. On Oct. 24 at 6 p.m., the UWGB men’s basketball team played against St. Norbert College another college located in the Green Bay area. It was a special night as the two universities came together to compete in a friendly match. Several community members came out to support the teams, filling the seats at the Kress Events Center. The evening was not only significant because of the basketball game but also due to a special halftime event.
The UWGB Nontraditional Student Organization hosted a Teddy Bear Toss in support of St. Vincent’s Children’s Hospital in Green Bay. This was the first Teddy Bear Toss at the Kress during a UWGB sport. Julie Lemieux, president of the Nontraditional Student Organization, stated that to begin planning the event, she reached out to the Kress Event’s staff about the Teddy Bear Toss idea. She then created the ads and specifics on the event to be approved by the Kress before moving ahead with the plan. Once everything was approved, the Teddy Bear Toss was officially on.
The Nontraditional Student Organization is composed of students at UWGB who are not “traditional” students. Many members are older adults returning to college later in life. Jake Skenandore, a member of the organization, said, “We are a bunch of students that commute every day to college to be a part of the campus, coming from all over the place.” Two years ago, the organization created a Teddy Bear Fundraiser on campus, where people could donate their bears. But this is the first time the UWGB organization has put on a Teddy Bear Toss.
A Teddy Bear Toss is a fundraiser where stuffed animals are thrown out on the court during halftime, most commonly supporting a hospital. Skenandore said, “A Teddy Bear Toss is a great way to give back to your community. We are selling the bears; you take the bears, and you get to have fun at halftime by throwing them.” After the bears are thrown onto the court, they are collected and boxed up to be delivered to the Children’s Hospital. Skenandore also works for St. Vincent’s Children’s Hospital in Green Bay. He was able to work with Children’s and the UWGB organization to create this event on campus. He states that after the bears are boxed up, he will bring them to the Children’s Hospital, and from there, they will be handed over to the employees there to clean and distribute them. Skenandore says, “Eventually, down the line, we will make some kid’s day, making something great out of something terrible.”
Making these children feel better by giving them a bear seems like a small act of service, but it is huge in the bigger picture. James Harris, a student of UWGB’s Nontraditional Student Organization, says that his child was once receiving care at St. Vincent’s Children’s Hospital. “My son was in and out of St. Vincents Children’s Hospital for over four years fighting leukemia, and when you have a really sick child, something little like a teddy bear will make a really bad day a little bit better,” Harris said. “It made such a big difference that once he recovered and didn’t have to go to the hospital, he was upset from not getting the bears anymore.” Harris’s personal story is one that many families experience when these bears are donated to the hospital.
This Teddy Bear Toss was an event that allowed students and members of the community to come together and support those who need it the most. The Nontraditional Student Organization will be hosting another Teddy Bear Toss on Nov. 21, 2024, at the UWGB women’s basketball game. Students and community members can participate in this additional opportunity to support children and their families at Children’s Hospital. Just like Harris said, “Little gestures like this can make a huge difference in a child’s life.”
