“Special” Bears Delivered to Kadlec Children

(Kennewick, WA) -- A special shipment of stuffed bears were delivered to Kadlec in Richland Tuesday morning. These bears have a very unique source material, they're actually made from old Kennewick Police officer uniforms. The Kennewick Police Department's volunteer group called "CHIPS," which stands for Citizen’s Helping in Police Service worked on creating the bears from the old uniforms. The group then turns them over to the police, who in turn donate them to local hospitals and children staying there who are battling serious illnesses.

This is not new, the CHIPS have been making the bears for years, but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the group had to pause their work. These bears are the first shipment since the pandemic ended. In a ceremony just outside the Kadlec campus Tuesday morning, the police and a member of the CHIPS arrived with the bears, who passed them onto Kadlec staff to ensure the safety of the children.