7-Eleven and Speedway Bear in the Chair Fundraiser for Riley Children's Foundation

Children in the hospital can often feel isolated and disconnected from their home community, including their school and classmates.  This is an especially big issue for younger children enrolled in elementary school. The Bear in the Chair program at Riley Hospital for Children is designed to help eliminate these feelings of loneliness by maintaining a connection between children being treated at Riley and their school. Through the bear itself, the program gives children in the classroom an opportunity to communicate with their classmate who is in the hospital and allows them to process questions and feelings in an age-appropriate way.

The Riley School Program helps facilitate bear deliveries with Riley Children’s Foundation to schools throughout Indiana. During the delivery, the Riley teacher introduces the class to the bear and the teacher and/or 7-Eleven or Speedway associate can read the book “Hello Bear” to the class to explain the bear program in a fun way. The bear can go anywhere with the class including art class, recess, field trips, and it helps prompt encouraging notes for the child in the hospital. The “Hello Bear” book often travels to each classroom throughout the school to introduce all of the students to the new bear in their school building.

The Bear in the Chair Program was started in 2013 and is entirely funded by 7-Eleven and Speedway associates. The program has been a HUGE success in classrooms bringing hope, healing, and understanding to schools across the state. More than 200 Bears have already been placed in schools yet only 2 remain in inventory as of right now.

We need your help to continue this unique and impactful program! Won’t you please help our Area raise at least $6,000 to replenish the Riley bear inventory? (That works out to just about $30 per location.)