OPERATION CUDDLES; BEARS-FOR-KIDS CAMPAIGN RESUMES.Byline: Annette Burget Bailey Daily News Staff Writer After a successful first year of collecting stuffed bears for police officers to give to traumatized children, a Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. woman has set up her donation bin again. Maria Steck calls it Operation Cuddles Cuddles may be:
tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. , get caught up in domestic violence or any situation where Thousand Oaks police have to help them. Steck, a sales associate with Hallmark Creations, first decided to collect cuddly cud·dle v. cud·dled, cud·dling, cud·dles v.tr. To fondle in the arms; hug tenderly. See Synonyms at caress. v.intr. To nestle; snuggle. n. bears for children victims last June after reading an article about a similar program. She contacted the Thousand Oaks Police Department, then after a month of collecting, sent them to the officers. ``It was great, we wound up getting sacks of really top-notch stuffed animals
A stuffed animal is toy animal stuffed with straw, beans, cotton or other similar materials. Some stuffed animals are very old – home made cloth dolls stuffed with straw go back to at least the ,'' said Joel Hockman, Thousand Oaks police crime prevention representative. Hockman said that giving a child a stuffed animal helps youngsters through difficult situations. ``Just to help put a smile back on the face of a child who's going through a rough time makes it all worthwhile,'' he said. Last year Steck and her associates collected 66 bears and decided to give it a second try this month. ``With Valentine's Day Valentine's Day: see Saint Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Lovers' holiday celebrated on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs of the same name. St. and the love theme - it seemed the perfect time to do it again,'' Steck said. All stuffed bears are appreciated, but there is one stipulation An agreement between attorneys that concerns business before a court and is designed to simplify or shorten litigation and save costs. During the course of a civil lawsuit, criminal proceeding, or any other type of litigation, the opposing attorneys may come to an agreement - they must be new, or as she puts it, not ``previously loved.'' ``We just want people to donate stuffed bears - they need not purchase from us,'' she said. Approximately 70 percent of the bears donated last June were, in fact, bought at other stores. ``We did see a trend with impulse buyers - people who otherwise bought everything they needed, and last minute found out about the fund-raiser, decided to buy a bear,'' she said. Donations can be made at Hallmark Creations, 120 Promenade Way, 9:30 a.m to 9 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Operation Cuddles organizer Maria Steck holds a donated bear, which will be given to a child in need of comfort from police officers. Tina Gerson/Daily News |
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