1890s Day in Ringgold

We had a great time at the 1890's Day Festival.  Dad met Seth's mom in Calhoun after Coosa's graduation so he got to spend most of the day Saturday with us.

The fireworks started at 9:45 and we sold our last bears at 9:43.  Everyone had on TN Vols hats and shirts, but we did not sell a single TN bear.  Mom had 12 ready to go.  We sold Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, GA/FL house divided, but no Tennessee.

Michigan...REALLY

Sharing a Bear with Addison

I was so happy to be able to share a bear with Addison today. Addison is an awesome little girl who had been fighting a childhood disease since birth. I met her as a student at Sylvan Learning.

This is what inspires me to keep selling and donating bears. You can see from the smile on Addison's face that your purchase DOES make a difference.

Youth Service America: Everyday Young Hero

YSA honors Nina Manuel, 16, of Rome, Georgia for raising money for hospitalized children through the creation of handmade stuffed teddy bears.

Nina founded Share-A-Bear in the spring of 2013 and creates teddy bears to benefit hospitalized children. Nina, who started her project to raise money for her Relay for Life team, sells her handmade bears and donates the money to charity. 

Through her desire to give back, Nina has gotten her entire family involved. Her father cuts the material and her mom sews the teddy bears together.  Her grandmother even hand sews the final stitches in the back after the bears are stuffed. She ships cut out bears to her grandma in Louisiana to sew the fronts and backs. 

Since April, Nina has sold 220 bears and raised more than $2,200. In 2013, she took 85 bears to the Arnold Palmer's Hospital for Children in Orlando.

For hand-crafting stuffed teddy bears for hospitalized children, we honor Nina Manuel as an Everyday Young Hero.

My Television Debut

It was definitely worth being at Ridge Ferry park at 6:30 Friday morning.  Even though it was just a few minutes, I was on Good Day Atlanta.

I am on the broadcast right after they BBQ guys get finished with their "trash talk"

Good Day Atlanta