Hundreds of alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends came together to bring joy to more than 1,000 children this holiday season by participating in the "Teddy Bears with Love" Drive, coordinated by Fairfield’s Student Alumni Association (SAA) and the Office of Alumni Relations. This year, more than 1,050 teddy bears and stuffed animals were donated between Nov. 1 and Dec. 12, 2022, and delivered to 10 children’s hospitals and charities across the country.

The Fairfield community organized several events, on campus and in cities throughout the country, to collect teddy bears and stuffed animals. “We were able to collect so many teddy bears because of the coordinated efforts of our regional alumni chapters and our passionate campus community” explained Colleen McGinn, director of alumni engagement. “We are grateful that everyone came together to help make the holidays special for a child in need.” Collection events include a teddy bear toss during the Fairfield vs. Yale men's basketball game in the University’s new Leo D. Mahoney Arena, along with nine alumni chapter events in Boston, Chicago, Fairfield, Hartford, Jersey City, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.

Thanks to the generous Fairfield community, stuffed animals were donated to such organizations as Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital (which will share with Milford Hospital), St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Little St. Nick (NYC), Tomorrows Children's Fund at Hackensack University Medical Center (NJ), Morristown Children’s Hospital (NJ), SafeKids (Washington, DC), My Brother’s Keeper (Boston), Lurie Children’s Hospital (Chicago) and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital (San Francisco).

For more information about Fairfield’s "Teddy Bears with Love" Drive, please visit fairfield.edu/teddybears.