Every year, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation kicks off its Season of Hope campaign by requesting various in-kind donations for Project Christmas and Holiday Drive-Thru parties to provide resources to local families dealing with pediatric cancer.
Project Christmas: Every year the foundation helps its families in the tri-counties celebrate the holidays in December by delivering presents to each child in the family. Decorations and gift wrapping are culturally appropriate according to whatever holiday the family celebrates.
The goal of Project Christmas is to alleviate the financial stress as well as the time and energy associated with shopping for gifts.
Often, it is not possible for parents to go shopping due to financial constraints, and they can’t leave their sick child.
Community members can sponsor a child for $100. Volunteers can shop based on the child’s wish list or provide a monetary donation and have the foundation do the shopping.
Additional donations, monetary or in-kind, are accepted for a family’s holiday tree, decorations, $50 gift cards for meals, and goodies like hot cocoa and candy canes.
Holiday Drive-Thru Party: Like last year, this year’s holiday party will be a drive-thru event as many families dealing with pediatric cancer are immunocompromised and must take precautions with respect to COVID-19.
Donations of $25 gift cards for ages birth to 12 years or $25 gift cards for teens will be accepted.
The foundation aims to provide gifts to over 200 children through the drive-thru events.
To donate toys and gift cards, drop them off or ship them to Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Attn: Holiday Party, 3892 State St., Ste. 220, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.
For more information or to sponsor a child or family for Project Christmas, email Tessa Boyce, community outreach manager, at tessa@teddybearcancerfoundation.org, call (805) 617-0847 or go to teddybearcancerfoundation.org/project-holiday.