Media Contact: Susan Cipollaro, scipollaro@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4000 x2726

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (June 26, 2020)—The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recently awarded Fairfield University’s Student Alumni Association (SAA) the Bronze CASE Circle of Excellence Award in Student Advancement/Student-led Engagement Initiatives for its annual Teddy Bears with Love drive. CASE’s Circle of Excellence awards recognize their members’ achievements “in advancing their institutions through their remarkable and varied work across all advancement disciplines,” says Sue Cunningham, CASE CEO and President.

In December of 1999, Fairfield University’s Office of Alumni Relations launched what would become an annual University tradition, the Teddy Bears with Love drive. Alumni from across the U.S. were asked to donate new and unused teddy bears and stuffed animals to the University, which would then be delivered to local children's hospitals throughout the holidays. During its inaugural year, 500 bears were collected and donated in Connecticut. Today, Fairfield’s Student Alumni Association, in conjunction with the Office of Alumni Relations and regional alumni chapters, continues to spearhead this effort. Since the launch of the Teddy Bears with Love drive, 21 years ago, over 25,000 teddy bears and stuffed animals have been collected and donated to children’s hospitals throughout the country, including Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Toys for Tots in Washington, D.C.

CASE judges recognized the Teddy Bears with Love drive for its alignment with the University’s mission, and its growth in connecting students and alumni through a shared project, while also engaging campus partners. Additionally, the program earned recognition for its low cost, high impact model.

“I am so proud to have played a role in Teddy Bears with Love,” said Chloe Stokinger ’22, Student Alumni Association 2019-20 director of community service. “I was able to witness the hard work that our whole community contributed to create such a successful turn out. Teddy Bears with Love is not simply about the number of bears raised, it emphasizes strength, community, and of course, love.”

To learn more about Fairfield University’s Teddy Bears with Love drive, please visit fairfield.edu/teddybears.

Posted On: June 26, 2020

Volume: 51 Number: 108

Fairfield University is a modern, Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200- acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.