Campbell County 4-H donates new teddy bears to CCMH Emergency Department

Cinnamon Lenhart and Alex Mansur with the Campbell County 4-H program donated more than 30 new teddy bears to the Campbell County Memorial Hospital Emergency Department (ED) in Gillette, Wyoming this week.

The 4-H program wanted to make sure the bears were used in the best way possible; that's when Alex remembered that the ED, where her mother is a nurse, appreciates the donation of brand new stuffed animals.

Ann Vandervoort, RN, was excited to accept the donation. "We use the bears with the children that visit the ED – either as an icebreaker because they might be frightened or hurting, or as a reward when they have been brave.”

Ann also said that the ED regularly offered stuffed animals, but are not able to accept them because they are not new. “In order for the ED to accept stuffed animals, they have to be brand new because of infection prevention standards,” she said.

The 4-H program received the bears as a donation from Jo-Ann Fabrics – so thank you Jo-Ann Fabrics and Campbell County 4-H!

Pictured from left: Cinnamon Lenhart; Jamie Crosier, RN; Ann Vandervoort, RN; and Alex Mansur