'Teddy Bear Run' brings smiles to base hospital children Published June 30, 2010 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 2010 "Airmen Teddy Bear Run" is 8 a.m. July 17 on the Biloxi side of the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge. The event will benefit the 81st Medical Group Hospital's pediatric patients. According to Tech. Sgt. Julie Hammond, 81st Training Support Squadron and one of the run's organizers, "Runners will stage at the base of the bridge on the Biloxi side, run across the bridge, pick-up a stuffed animal on the Ocean Spring's side and return to deposit it in collection spot. Teddy Bears will be delivered to Keesler Hospital to brighten a child's day." Sergeant Hammond said that her supervisor, Master Sgt. Anthony Fisher, 81st TRSS military training superintendent, originated the idea earlier this year. "He threw it out there to us in the office to see how it sounded," she said. "I told him I would take it on and start making some phone calls to see if we could make it happen. I contacted the (81st Medical Operations Squadron) pediatric clinic officer-in-charge, Maj. Mickaelle Germaine, to see if they could accept the bears and she said she could." Then things just fell into place. The first run on Feb. 27 resulted in 130 bears donated to the pediatric clinic. "They appreciated it and our Airmen loved helping them out," Sergeant Hammond recalled. "Our purpose was to make some children happy by giving them a bear when they are scared or frightened about going to the doctor. "Another purpose was to get our Airmen out in the community and volunteering for a good cause," she continued. "We opened it up to the non-prior-service Airmen students as well as the military training leaders in the training squadrons and, since the hospital is a part of this too, we encouraged them to participate as well," she added. Sergeant Fisher's involvement has encouraged them to do the second run. "His wife does home day care and a little boy that she watches was admitted to the hospital," Sergeant Hammond They went to see him and he had this bear. He explained to Sergeant Fisher he was allowed to pick a bear from a room that had tons of them in it. It turned out they were the bears we had donated and he was as happy as could be having this bear beside him. So our 'Teddy Bear Run' served its purpose!" Donations of new stuffed animals can be brought to Room 144 of the Levitow Training Support Facility. For information, call Sergeant Hammond, 377-2103.