DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Candy and flowers are not the only way to give on Valentine’s Day.
Once again, the National Council of Negro Women is making its presence felt for the holiday, providing a cuddly lift for kids that need a little love.
For more than 20 years, the Teddy Bear Round-Up has been spreading Valentine’s Day love by giving out stuffed toys to children of all ages. According to organizers, the event increases in size each year.
“We realize that children have a difficult time,” Carmela Daniels, President of the National Council of Negro Women’s Dayton section, said. “Children go through sickness and illness, or maybe separated from family, so we want to give back to them this way.”
The National Council of Negro Women has been serving the Miami Valley for more than two decades. This year, the organization will donate nearly 350 toys to Montgomery County Children Services on Valentine’s Day.
“When you have a teddy bear, it brings out the inner child in you,” Daniels said. “You understand the warmth and comfort that a teddy bear can give you.”
Craig Rickett is the Associate Director of the Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Serves. He said the simple gift of a stuffed bear can show a child who has been separated from their family, or is about to be placed in foster care, that they are still loved.
“Unfortunately, when children or a family experience some type of trauma, and if it is a situation where the children have to be removed from their home or separated from their family, something tangible that can be held, such as a teddy bear, can speak volumes.”
Montgomery County Commissioner Jody Dodge issued a statement saying that Valentine’s Day is all about love, and this outpouring of love and support is something that the world desperately needs more of.
