Build-A-Bear Workshop's “Stuff with Hugs” initiative saw hundreds of bears making their way to children who need a hug most!

Build-A-Bear Workshop®, the brand where children make their very own stuffed animals, reached out to children all over the GCC with its “Stuff with Hugs” initiative that brings schools and charities together to embrace the true nature of “giving".  Along with, teaching children to care about those with disabilities.

This unique initiative invited school children from Dubai to go to a Build-A-Bear Workshop® store where they were able to build bears for free for children and gave them to those with special needs. Once they made their bears they took them out into the community to civil society organisations and charities of their choice, where they gave them to children who are less able.

 “Stuff with Hugs” kicked off recently and involved children from Dubai's Modern Skills School in stuffing the bears.

“We’re a company with heart and the ‘Stuff with Hugs’ programme is a way to give children the opportunity to give back. By getting schoolchildren to build bears for other less able children is a way of giving them a voice in supporting the causes that are important to them” said Paul Marks, Build-A-Bear Workshop General Manager.

The schoolchildren built over 250 bears across GCC. These bears made their way to children who, in the companies words “deserve a special hug” including SENSES Centre in Dubai.

“Build-A-Bear Workshop and its associates believe in the teddy bear philosophy of being good people and good bears. Throughout our 15-year history, the company has shared the hug of a teddy bear wherever needed in local communities and abroad.” Marks added “As we start to grow in the region we hope that we can do more and more each day to encourage children to help each other and learn that giving is just as important as receiving”.

The “Stuff with Hugs” programme teaches children to care for other children and helps them learn from an early age that giving is an important part of life. Many children in this part of the world are very lucky living in a safe environment, in good schools with lots to be happy about. This aim of this programme is to help them recognise that not all children are so lucky; and that by sharing, they can go a long way to making the world a better place for children who are not as privileged as them.