Arriving at the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District headquarters on Topeka Street this past Tuesday with boxes of teddy bears were Marianne Lynch, Diane, Ben, and Donna Talbert, all members of the Royal Neighbors Chapter 9890. The group delivered 96 teddy bears in four different colors for a donation to firefighters so that they can give them out to the children they contact during fires, accidents or other incidents. Fire Chief Matt Daly and Battalion Chief Kevin Wise along with a few other firemen were on hand to receive the teddy bears.

The teddy bears will be distributed between the nine fire stations in Stanislaus County. The Royal Neighbors have donated teddy bears to the fire department over the past couple of years. The service area includes Riverbank, Waterford, and Oakdale, areas of unincorporated Modesto, and the communities of Empire, Knights Ferry, La Grange, Valley Home and Hickman.

“I am very touched by the generosity of local charities and groups that want to help the fire department and the community,” stated Daly. “Donations like this allow us to provide a child with something that may bring a little comfort to them during an emergency.”

The firefighters keep the bears on the fire trucks and in emergency vehicles so that they can give them to children that are affected by fires or any other crisis or incident.

“Royal Neighbors have donated teddy bears in the past and were recently informed by Battalion Chief Kevin Wise that the supply had gotten very low,” explained Diane Talbert. “Our Chapter was happy to fulfill the request for more bears.”

Daly explained that emergencies have a significant impact on everyone involved, including children that are frightened and do not fully understand the situation.

“As firefighters, we always want to protect and provide relief for people, so being able to offer something like a teddy bear to an upset child at the scene of an emergency gives us an opportunity to provide some comfort in a time of chaos,” added Daly. “We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Royal Neighbors group in Riverbank.

“As much as we try to help prevent emergencies in the communities we serve, they still happen. The teddy bears allow us to provide a little comfort to scared children.”