Thousands attend CHEO Foundation annual Teddy Bear Picnic
After a long "paws," the 37th annual CHEO Foundation Teddy Bear Picnic made a return on Sunday, to say thank you to the community as the children's hospital celebrates its 50th year.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
The event is back for the first time in five years, kicking things off with a celebrity breakfast, where CTV’s-own Patricia Boal was serving pancakes.
"We’ve got kids coming in through the gates. We’ve been planning this for some time as you can imagine it was great to be finally here and seeing everybody have some fun," said Steve Read, the president and CEO of the CHEO Foundation.
9-year-old Mila brought her two much-loved stuffed animals for a check-up at the CHEO Bear Hospital.
"I want them to get a check-up because I don’t know if they need more stuffing," she said.
At the bear hospital, volunteers were on hand mending much-loved stuffed animals from check-ups, to surgery, to patching up little arms.
CTV's Patricia Boal handing out pancakes at the annual CHEO Foundation Teddy Bear Picnic on June, 16, 2024. (Katelyn Wilson/CTV News Ottawa)
"It just warms our hearts, it’s a reminder of how important this institution is for the well-being of all kids and our whole community," said Alex Munter, the CEO of CHEO.
The event is a way to say thank you to the community for all the support over the past 50 years.
"We’ve had to use the services of CHEO, so we understand the importance of having the hospital in the community, we’re very supportive," said Ottawa resident, Michelle Peralta.
CHEO's 50th anniversary is a big milestone for the hospital that has helped many families, including 4-year-old Rosalie who remembers her visits fondly.
"I love CHEO, it’s very important to me," she said.
Whether it’s a hug, someone to put a smile on your face, or sing a song, CHEO staff and the community were out in full force, celebrating its many programs. Isaac the therapy dog was also on hand celebrating a big milestone of his own – his 10th birthday.
"When children come in, we want them to be as comfortable as possible," Emily Jamieson, CHEO's vice-president of corporate philanthropy and engagement.
"These extra programs make them feel like they’re somewhat at home when they’re going through procedures and challenging times."
A child feeds a goat at the annual CHEO Foundation Teddy Bear Picnic on June 16, 2024. (Katelyn Wilson/CTV News Ottawa)
CHEO has been a major institution in the nation's capital since 1974, serving children and their families not only from eastern Ontario but also from northern Ontario, western Quebec and Nunavut.
Last week, the CHEO Telethon on CTV Ottawa raised $720,600 after a two-week campaign of raising money and awareness for the hospital.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates You donated clothing to needy Canadians. So how did it end up in Africa?
In the first of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5 puts a spotlight on how some of the clothes Canadians donate to charity end up in markets in Africa.
Tropical Storm Oscar swirls toward the Bahamas after hitting Cuba as a hurricane
Tropical Storm Oscar chugged toward the Bahamas on Tuesday after making landfall in Cuba as a Category 1 hurricane, killing at least six people as it unleashed heavy rains on an island also hit by an unrelated massive power outage.
Toronto woman spends nearly $2K on parking to visit mom in health-care facilities
A Toronto woman said the cost of parking to visit her mother in hospital, and later in long term care, for 15 months was a financial burden she feels she shouldn’t have had to pay.
Woman wedged upside down between rocks for 7 hours after trying to retrieve her phone
A woman who tried to retrieve her lost phone from between boulders in Australia’s Hunter Valley became stuck upside down for seven hours before she was rescued earlier this month.
Vermont man charged with drunk driving in Ottawa Valley thought he was still in U.S.
Ontario Provincial Police charged an impaired Vermont man who illegally crossed the border into Canada and thought he was still in the United States.
Italian surfer dies after being impaled by fish off the coast of Indonesia
An Italian surfer has died after being impaled in the chest by a sharp-billed fish while surfing off Indonesia’s West Sumatra coast.
Huge ransoms paid out by some Canadian businesses amid rising cyberattacks: StatCan
Some businesses paid a ransom of more than $500,000 after a cyberattack last year, new Statistics Canada data revealed.
Initial report shows Liam Payne had cocaine in his system when he died, says Argentine official
An initial toxicology report for ex-One Direction singer Liam Payne, who died last week after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, showed that he had cocaine in his system after his death, an Argentine official said.
A giant meteorite boiled the oceans 3.2 billion years ago, but provided a 'fertilizer bomb' for life
A massive space rock, estimated to be the size of four Mount Everests, slammed into Earth more than 3 billion years ago — and the impact could have been unexpectedly beneficial for the earliest forms of life on our planet, according to new research.