BOISE, ID — For 16 years, the St. Luke's Teddy Bear Factory has been sewing handmade bears for kids and families at St. Luke's. Over the years, they've put in more than 12,000 hours of service, and this week they finished their 50,000th bear.
The milestone bear was dedicated to one of their former group members, Evelyn Benhke, who passed away 3 months ago. Benhke was a core member who helped make these bears for patients in the children' hospital.
Grace Reid is one of the 14 active members. Reid explained, “My favorite part I guess is the dedication to the little children, to help them.”
Reid said that it is the fellowship that brought her in. “When you get as old as I am, you don’t have a lot to do, and so it takes up the time,” said Reid. She's originally from Alabama, but says she found a community she is thankful for in Boise.
Another member of the group, Janice Cundiff, has been involved for 13 years. She credits a friend for getting her started, adding she believes she found a home within the group.
The emotions the group members feel are the same feelings they provide to recipients of the teddy bears.
Cundiff went on, “I love this group. I love everyone in it. I love what we do. It's not a club, we're not a club. We are a group of ladies who come together and make bears. I like to think of it as almost a sisterhood.”
For these ladies sewing and giving back brings them together, and it is clear this milestone represents more than the number of bears the group has made. It also represents the amount of memories and friendships made along the way.
“The older you get the more limited you are, and what you can do. So this is something you can do and be a part of," said Cundiff.
