The Oglethorpe Mall Kay Jewelers recently donated six dozen stuffed teddy bears to Savannah-Chatham police.
Police officers who frequently come into contact with children keep the bears with them to help comfort the kids during stressful situations in which they’re often overlooked, said Julian Miller, police spokesman.
Kay Jewelers customers purchased the bears as part of a fundraiser over the Christmas holidays. They’ve been doing so for seven years and have contributed about $14 million from the proceeds to St. Jude’s Children’s Cancer Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., Miller said.
This was the third year the store donated the bears to Savannah-Chatham police.