Tuscaloosa Exchange Club donates 500 trauma bears to first responders

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - A west Alabama charity made sure first responders are well equipped during times when they find young children who are in distress.

The National Exchange Club adopted child abuse prevention as its national project back in 1979. Today, kids in the Tuscaloosa area will have something to hold onto if they’re scared or hurting.

The Tuscaloosa Exchange Club gave away 500 trauma bears at a luncheon where they were donated to police, firefighters, and others.

The small, cuddly teddy bears that might offer a little comfort to kids going through a lot were given to the Tuscaloosa and Northport Police Departments, the fire departments of both cities, the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and even to the pediatric and trauma units for DCH and Northport DCH hospitals.

Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley explained how important these trauma bears can be.

“We deal with so many people in the worst time of their lives and what a lot of people don’t realize is that there’s a lot of kids involved,” Blankley said. “If we have to arrest a parent or a loved on or somebody’s hurt, these kids need something else to focus their minds on.”

The Exchange Club raised money from a chili cookoff earlier this year to pay for those trauma bears.

The groups who got the bears also received blue ribbons to help promote child abuse prevention during the month of April.

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