Mount Dora Police to give away comfort bears to children

MOUNT DORA, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - The Mount Dora Police have announced that officers will start distributing hand-made comfort bears to children in need.

They say that Mount Dora police volunteers spent around 200 hours making the bears from police uniforms that are no longer in service. All the bears are hand-stitched and will be given to children, on-scene, by officers who respond to crimes, which includes anything from domestic violence to child abuse.

"It's a wonderful gift and a great use of material. I want to thank the citizens of Mount Dora and our eight volunteers that came forward and put these together for us," said Police Chief John O'Grady.

The department says the idea came from a former police employee who sent a hand-stitched bear, made from an old police uniform, to Chief O'Grady. The former employee said comfort bears were made back in the 90's to help children and O'Grady saw the need for our children still here. Using a stash of old uniforms and a group of enthusiastic volunteers, 26 new bears were created.

Officers will start to distribute the bears on an as-need basis beginning this weekend, says the Mount Dora Police.