Police collect nearly 5,000 teddy bears

The Calgary Police Service has thousands of cuddly culprits in custody.

Each year, the Calgary Police Service, MaxWell Realty and Kids Help Phone team up with Girl Guides of Canada to wrangle nearly 5,000 stuffed animals for the “Share Your Bear” event.

Now in its 16th year, the charity drive is held in support of the Victim Assistance Support Team, providing stuffed animals to children and youth who experience trauma as a result of crime.

“Share Your Bear is such a heartwarming event and I am always amazed at the generosity of Calgarians,” Sergeant Brent Hutt with the Calgary Police Service Victim Assistance Unit said in a statement.

“Thanks to people taking the time to donate these stuffed animals, we can give children who witness or are the victims of crime something to hold as they process what they have just experienced.”

Calgarians can donate new or gently-used stuffed animals to the Share Your Bear program by dropping them off at any MaxWell Realty office.

“Five thousand stuffed animals, 5,000 smiles; that’s the goal,” said Johnny Alain, vice-president of MaxWell Realty Canada.

“It’s safe to say that comforting victims of crime and tragedy is not easy. That’s why we feel it’s so important to participate in this program. ”

The stuffed animals collected over the past year will be presented to the Calgary Police Service later today at the Girl Guides of Canada Headquarters. Calgarians can visit www.MaxWellRealty.ca for a list of locations to donate to the Share Your Bear event.