Teddy Bear Drive headed up by Margate City Commissioner Antonio Arserio. {David Volz}
Margate City Commissioner Antonio Arserio wants to ensure that children in his community have positive encounters with police officers and first responders.
He remembers when a Margate officer gave his daughter a teddy bear and learned that some first responders offered stuffed animals to children but were paying for them themselves.
He wants them to give teddy bears to them without that cost.
On Saturday, Arserio organized a teddy bear drive in the parking lots of Wawa and Culver’s on W. Copans Road, where people could bring them and receive a dish of ice cream from Culver’s and coffee from Wawa.
Arserio wants first responders to have teddy bears to give to children if they are in a difficult situation, such as an accident or domestic violence, and, through the event, estimates that more than 250 teddy bears were collected.
Community members, including Jessica Mallard and her daughter, Skylar Cooper, dropped off teddy bears and other stuffed animals. She said the event was good for the community. Skylar’s Girl Scout Troop 10219 collectively brought teddy bears.
Members of the Margate police and fire departments participated in the event and interacted with families. Children had the opportunity to see a fire truck up close.
“This was a positive event for the community,” said Margate Fire Chief Roberto Lorenzo. “We will [now] have more stuffed animals to give to children.”
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