Rockland YMCA Brings Holiday Cheer with More Than 100 Teddy Bears for HeadStart Preschoolers

To celebrate the spirit of giving and community, the Rockland YMCA partnered with LG Electronics building and giving away teddy bears to more than 100 HeadStart preschoolers.  HeadStart provides childcare to young children, enabling parents to go work and support their families.

The teddy bears were built by LG Electronics employees during a team building event earlier in the year.  Some of the LG built bears were given to Rockland YMCA campers this summer.  Rockland YMCA Teens in Action, as part of their weekly community service, helped stuff and build additional bears so dozens of Rockland County HeadStart preschoolers would have a brand-new teddy bear in time for the holidays.  The Teens also packaged the bears into bags where they wrote personal messages to the kids.  

“This event was the true meaning of holiday spirit, that we try to create year-round,” commented Phil Donnelly, CEO Rockland County YMCA.  “We partnered earlier in the year with a corporate partner, LG Electronics, who shares our commitment to employees as well as community giving.  Our Teens in Action built even more bears the past couple of weeks so we could give away dozens to our longstanding partner HeadStart who has a gym period with us weekly at the YMCA in Nyack.  The giving went from adult to teen, teen to toddler – corporate to community.  The event was a model we aim to replicate year-round.”