Throw support toward teddy bear toss

Editor's note: Bella Guerra and Kegney Stoll are seniors at St. Paul High School. For their senior project, which encourages students to find ways to give back to others, the classmates decided to coordinate and host a teddy bear toss at an upcoming volleyball match. NORWALK — For our senior project, we decided to do a teddy bear toss to raise awareness and money for the children's wing at the Cleveland Clinic. We originally got the idea because one of Kegney's family members has been in and out of the Cleveland Clinic her whole childhood due to her needing a liver transplant and complications from illnesses that her body has a hard time fighting. So we contacted the Cleveland Clinic to discuss our idea. Employees there then pointed us in the right direction, as they have strict guidelines that they must follow when it comes to outside donations. Their suggestion of a virtual toy drive was the perfect solution for getting this project started. We then wanted to finish up our project with a small competition to thank the community and those who are helping to make this project a success, thus the teddy bear toss: • The donation: Those who participate will be able to purchase a bean bag for $3 at the school or at the volleyball game on Sept. 18 versus Western Reserve. • The contest: Participants will then toss the bag at a teddy bear. The bag(s) that get closest to the bear will win prizes. • The objective: All money raised will also go toward the project as we hope to reach our goal, create a new senior project idea that others can carry on and bring a smile to a child stuck in a hospital. This teddy bear toss is a great way to help these kids in need. Our goal is to raise about $6,000. Want to donate? There are several ways people can contribute: • Anyone who would like to donate to this cause outside of attending the volleyball match can do so by visiting give.ccf.org/fundraiser/6573035. • We also have collection jars set up during our home volleyball games. • Then, on Sept. 18, we will host our teddy bear toss. This will happen at St. Paul High School between the JV and varsity game St. Paul vs Western Reserve. The junior varsity match begins at 5:30 p.m., and varsity should occur just before 7 p.m. We thank every person for donating toward this cause and everyone making this project possible. Caring for Caroline The fundraiser provides more background into the inspiration for this fundraiser: We were inspired by Caroline Bess, who is a future Flyer, and the journey she has undergone in her short life so far. Because of her bravery and the impact that her family has had in our community, we wanted to bring attention to others who have had hardships due to being stuck in a hospital. Caroline was always in and out of the Cleveland Clinic due to complications with her liver. At the age of 1, she had a liver transplant. Despite having the surgery, she is still not out of the woods. There are still complications and setbacks as she and her family deal with her crazy life. She has had to spend many days stuck in the hospital, leaving her siblings and toys at home. Her story inspired us to help her and other kids who are going through the same hardships. Having someone we know go through a lot of testing and always being in and out of the clinic at such a young age made us realize that there are a lot of other kids going through this, too. Our main goal for this project is to help raise awareness and money for the staff at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital to purchase items for their patients who are in the hospital with the hope that it will make their time there go by smoother. With your donations and support, we will be able to help the hospital purchase things, like Play-Doh, stuffed animals and LEGOS. And as a bonus, 100% of your donations go back to those in need. Cleveland Clinic Children's treats kids from all over the state, country and world with a goal to get them back on their feet and healthy again as quickly as possible. You can help these patients cope with their fears, stress and anxiety during their stay by supporting our virtual toy drive. Our drive ensures 100% of funds raised will be used to purchase toys, games and other essential needs at Cleveland Clinic Children's. Toys are a great resource for patients and their families. They provide hope and distraction from uncomfortable procedures, teach coping skills, and encourage self-expression.