Teddy Bear Run to Benefit Akron Children’s Hospital

The God Chasers Motorcycle Club is taking donations for their Teddy Bear Run event to benefit children at the Akron Children’s Hospital.

Although the motorcycle club organizes fund raisers for different causes throughout the year, this is the first year the club has organized the Teddy Bear Run for the children’s hospital, and club member Reverend Mike Wimer says they have already received great support.

“Along with the generous donations made by the club members, fellow motorcyclists, and the public, we have had donations from many local businesses including the Burgh Bar and the New Castle Lowes – even Build-A-Bear donated some bears,” Reverend Mike Wimer, president of the club stated.

The club has a goal of collecting at least 200 brand-new teddy bears; Wimer stresses “brand-new” is important.

Two donors posing with teddy bears

“We can only accept donations of new bears because we don’t want there to be any contamination – even the bears collected from the Burgh Bar are wrapped in a plastic bag immediately to avoid any cigarette smoke or other contaminates.”

Wimer says this is the first donation of the sort that the children’s hospital in Akron has received, and they hope to provide enough teddy bears to ensure all children at the hospital receive one, including those in the emergency room.

“We chose to donate to the Akron Children’s Hospital because they are the only local hospital that doesn’t receive donations,” he said. “And a children’s hospital can never have ‘too many’ teddy bears.”

The participating bikers will be meeting at the Mohawk High School parking lot, taking a ride through the country and meeting with Ohio bikers to deliver the bears on June 10 starting their journey at 10a.m.

Contact Reverend Mike Wimer at 724-651-5257 to donate a bear, or monetary donations can be made by texting TEDDYBEAR to 91999. All proceeds go to the children’s hospital.

Photos provided by Rev. Mike Wimer.