‘Like a hug.’ Sick Tri-Cities kids get new teddy bears crafted from police uniforms

Thanks to the boys in blue, some of the little patients at Kadlec Regional Medical Center will have bears in blue to help them feel safe while in the hospital.

Five navy blue bears sporting googly eyes and Kennewick Police Department patches entered Kadlec to meet their new owners after being created by Citizens Helping in Police Service (CHIPS).

Volunteers began making bears out of old police uniforms for Kadlec kids in the years before COVID-19, but had to put the program on pause when the pandemic hit. An event was held Tuesday to kick off the bears’ return before they were given to the children.

Handcrafted comfort

This particular CHIPS project repurposes old uniforms into teddy bears.

When a uniform is retired, instead of throwing it out, the police department gives the uniform to two CHIPS volunteers, Annette Kuhl and Jean Murphy, to transform into a child’s new best friend.

Kadlec identified a group of kids currently in the hospital that “need a smile on their face” to receive the bears.

“Bears are often seen as a comfort item in the hospital, but ones like this have extra meaning,” said Jenny Jones, child life specialist at Kadlec. “They were made with love.”

It takes around three to four hours to complete one bear on average, according to Kuhl. She started making bears while working in hospice care over 12 years ago.

Based on her count, she’s since made 819.

Kuhl and Murphy try to have a consistent stock of bears ready, so they can be given to kids as needed. They’re notified when the supply gets low.

At the kickoff event, Jones and Kuhl spoke to each other about the impact the bears have.

Both had to refrain from getting emotional before ending the conversation with a hug, right as Jones said the bears are “like a hug to these kids.”

Citizens Helping in Police Service (CHIPS)

CHIPS is a Kennewick police volunteer group that has been active for over 20 years, taking part in community events and services and helping officers.

Kennewick Police Sergeant Chris Littrell estimates the 30-something members of CHIPS donate over 1,000 hours of their time each year helping the city run more efficiently.

The bear program was brought to CHIPS about a year and a half before COVID-19 hit, forcing the efforts to come to a halt.

“Being a police officer, unfortunately I see people in their worst moment,” Littrell said. “No one calls 911 because dinner’s on time and kids got straight A’s. It’s usually because something bad is happening. So being part of some of these positive community events where we’re going out and proactively engaging folks to put a smile on their face is heartwarming and something we like to be a part of.”

Littrell says if it weren’t for CHIPS, officers would have to be pulled off the road to do mundane tasks, like handle paperwork transfers and clean cars.

Kuhl and her husband are still a part of CHIPS, despite living in Montana now.

She even drove to Richland for the bears’ delivery. The two chose to continue work with the program even after leaving the area because of their connection to the officers.

“We just love the officers so much…” Kuhl said. “We just have such a bond with all the officers. We really care, we think they’re family. So we just can’t let go, we love to come down and be active with them and do what we can.”