Build-A-Bear Workshop-United Kingdom: 2006 Huggable Heros Winners

2006 Huggable Heroes Winners

Cubgratulations™ to the 2006 Build-A-Bear Workshop^® Huggable Heroes^®!

It our pleasure to recognize, honor and cele-bear-ate the 2006 Build-A-Bear Workshop® Huggable Heroes. Below are the inspirational stories of some very pawsome kids!

Anthony - Wisconsin

Anthony started Heavenly Hats, a program that donates brand new hats to cancer patients, giving those that have lost their hair the hope and courage to face another day. Over the past four years Anthony has coordinated donations of over 80,000 new pieces of headwear to over 250 hospitals and clinics nationwide. He has inspired hundreds of youth groups and schools to help out by hosting hat drives for Heavenly Hats.
Bailey - Florida

Bailey started an organization called Hero Hugs which sends care packages to soldiers in Iraq . So far, with the help of many classmates and friends, over 12,000 packages have been sent to soldiers in Iraq .Bailey also sent a teddy bear “Hero” to Iraq to visit soldiers and they have sent photos back to her to share with kids who have a parent serving in the military. Hero gives kids a more friendly way of understanding what their parents are doing overseas.
Brittany - British Columbia

For the last 8 years, Brittany has played an active role in her community by helping feed the less fortunate, volunteering at the police department and raising money for the Easter Seals Organization.Brittany recently created a Scholarship Seminar where she visits local secondary schools to help educate students about the many facets of scholarship applications and how the students can apply for such assistance.
Charlotte - New York

Charlotte spends countless hours donating hygiene products to Family Service Associations, domestic supplies to Violence Intervention Programs and games and videos to the Fox Healthcare Psychiatric Unit.Charlotte has raised over $13,000 to benefit these organizations and has also inspired her classmates to get involved in community service.
Heather - Nevada

Heather has spent countless hours writing and distributing books in her community about the situations foster kids face. As a former foster child,Heather is personally aware of situations that many foster children must confront. Her books cover such topics as having to move frequently, social workers and the difficulties of foster care. She continues to write books, for which a local law firm has offered to pay printing costs.
Jenessa - Minnesota

Jenessa devotes countless hours making bracelets to send to troops in Iraq , their families and their supporters. When her uncle was deployed three years ago,Jenessa gave him the bracelet to wear until he came home safely. The bracelets are available free of charge through her website to anyone who has someone close serving in the military and some soldiers even wear them. With the help of many others, over 200,000 bracelets have been made.
Jeniece - Michigan

Jeniece started a back-to-school effort raising money and school supplies for less fortunate children in her own school. Since 2004, she has sent out letters and personally followed up, requesting donations of backpacks and school supplies so that everyone in her school could start out the new school year prepared to learn. To date, 200 children have gone back to school with the special backpacks filled with school supplies.
Kaylene - Michigan

Kaylene collected gently used children's and young adult's books for the children's wing at Beaumont Hospital . She has donated almost 1,000 books. She personally wrote and delivered letters throughout her neighborhood requesting book donations. ThenKaylene picked up and sorted all of the books, which she then delivered to the hospital.
Maggie - New Mexico

Maggie started a project called Operation Soldier Smiles to send care packages to deployed soldiers in the war zone. She researched what items were best to collect and set up collection boxes around town.Maggie also sends out letters requesting donations for the care packages. Her church youth group often helps her assemble the packages. With each package she includes a note letting the recipient know how much their sacrifices are appreciated.
Matthew - New York

Matt volunteers for Puppies Behind Bars, an organization that trains inmates to raise guide dogs for the blind and explosive detection canines for Law Enforcement. He takes their pups into his home and exposes them to situations they cannot encounter in prison. Through a youth service-based organization,Matt also spearheaded a fundraising raffle for the benefit of Puppies Behind Bars. It raised over $1,000 for the cause.
Ted - Ohio

Ted spends every Sunday volunteering at Memorial Hospital of Union County. He began volunteering for this small town hospital as soon as he turned 13 - the minimum required age for volunteering.Ted has encouraged other students from his school to volunteer at the hospital too. He has inspired his younger brother, who at age 9 is anxiously awaiting turning 13 so he can volunteer.
Welland - South Carolina

Welland Burnside started Suitcases for Kids, so that children moving from one foster home to another would have something to put their clothes in. When friends and relatives in other states learned aboutWelland 's initiatives, they began suitcase collections in their own communities. As a result of Welland 's efforts, leadership skills and compassion, foster children in every state have received these special suitcases. His project has expanded to include medical missionaries and to date 400,000 suitcases have been collected.