Fires and other life-changing emergencies can be extremely stressful, especially for children.
To make things just a little bit easier for kids in their time of need, the Burbank Fire Department will be giving them hand-stitched teddy bears made from their old uniforms. The heartwarming new program comes from a collaboration between the fire department and the Louis S. Viverito Senior Center Hook and Needle Club whose members volunteered to craft the bears to give back to their community.
Fire Engineer Michael Huedepohl developed and led the initiative that he said started in 2020 when he approached then-Chief David Gilgenberg II with the idea to repurpose the firefighters polo shirts that were being replaced by new button-downs.
The Hook and Needle Club created a handful of teddy bears that were kept as prototypes but never made it to children at the time due to safety issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his fire officer course this past winter, Huedepohl expanded upon the idea as a cost-effective and impactful community relations project. After reconnecting with the Hook and Needle Club, more bears were hand-sewn. Now, in 2025, children will see the results of the revived program.
“A few years ago, my wife received a memory bear made from the uniform of a fallen firefighter,” he said. “Inspired by that powerful gesture, I adapted the idea into a class project during a fire officer course.”
Every time a bear is given to children on an ambulance call, the crew will fill out a card with details about the child, a brief note about the situation, and their reaction to the bear. “These cards will be returned to the seniors who crafted them so that they can see firsthand the impact of their dedication and kindness,” said Huedepohl.
The Burbank Fire Department, along with Burbank Mayor David Gilgenberg II and Stickney Township Supervisor Diane Viverito, recently joined the Hook and Needle Club for cake to celebrate the collaboration and pick up the final collection of teddy bears. As so often happens, the firefighters received an emergency call a few bites in and had to leave the fun early, but going forward they’ll have a full supply of high-quality, hand-crafted bears to help comfort the children they encounter while saving lives.