The law firm of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP is helping to warm the hearts of area children by donating the most bears to the Teddy Bear Challenge, sponsored by the Indianapolis Bar Association Paralegal Committee. The “bear” of a donation goes to the Bears on Patrol outreach program through the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) and Marion County Sheriff’s Department.

This year, Bose McKinney & Evans received “The Most Bears” award for collecting 1,945 stuffed animals for the cause, which is more than the total collected from all firms last year. Altogether, more than 4,000 stuffed animals were donated to the three departments.

The Bears on Patrol program is designed to reduce the trauma suffered by children who are exposed to violence, abuse or other upsetting incidents. IMPD patrol officers, IFD firefighters and Sheriff’s deputies are issued plush teddy bears that they carry with them while on duty, and as the law enforcement officials encounter children who are victims of traumatic incidents, they give bears to those children. Stuffed animals are also given out in the City-County Building when children have to attend court hearings.

The program is funded by donations from community and civic groups. It has been the IBA Paralegal Committee’s community charitable project for a number of years and has since turned into a friendly competition — The Teddy Bear Challenge. Awards are given for the most stuffed animals donated and the most stuffed animals donated by firm/organization size — giving small organizations and firms a chance to win as well.

A plaque for the large donation to the program was awarded to the firm’s paralegals at the annual Indianapolis Bar Association Paralegal Committee Holiday Luncheon on Dec. 3 at the Columbia Club. Representatives of the Sheriff’s department, IMPD and IFD also attended the luncheon to accept the stuffed animals donated by the paralegals and give examples of how the stuffed animals are used to comfort children.