I'm pretty sure that teddy bears can brighten anyone's day.
Whether you were a big fan of the plushy little pets growing up or not, getting a little bear as gift or cuddling up to one in bed is an instant pain reliever — even baby horses love them!
Teddy bears make the perfect birthday gift for plushy loving kids, a cute little keepsake for someone you love on Valentine's Day, and they are sure to make anyone in the hospital feel a lot better.
But these bears can also help raise money for an important cause — at least, that's what they did for 14-year-old Aidan Jackson.
Determined to honor a friend's memory after she passed, he set out to find a way to fund-raise in her name, and he collected over 1,000 teddy bears in the process.
Check below to see the sweet cause that ended up filling an entire rugby stadium with stuffed animals.
[H/T: Liverpool Echo]
14-year-old Aidan Jackson collected 10,500 cuddly teddies and stuffed animals for a special cause.
His mission to fill the stands of the Select Security Stadium was a way to honor and raise money for his late friend Olivia Alice Walker.
Walker passed away at age 15 due to health complications and disabilities.
She and Jackson met at a local swimming club. After her passing, he wanted to do something to honor her memory.
So, he and his family began to raise money for the Olivia Alice Foundation, which was set up so that Walker's family could help other people with disabilities.
Through his many fundraising efforts, Jackson created the teddy bear idea, hoping to fill an entire rugby stadium with donated stuffed animals.
The response to the challenge was overwhelming and heartwarming, with many kind strangers sending in sweet stuffed animals.
One kind woman even donated 500 dolls!
Once the thousands of teddies were collected, they each got a seat at the stadium.
It took from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to set every bear in a seat, but the final result is definitely a sight to see.
Bears, big and small, filled the stands, showcasing how many sweet strangers care about the cause.
Some even came from China, where Jackson's sister was studying.
The idea came from Walker's goal to beat the Guinness World Records' longest line of teddy bears.
But once he found out that the record was held by a boy who had tragically passed the year prior, he decided to not challenge his record.
After his goal was adjusted, he planned to have all of the animal collected by August 10.
Once he was finished filling the stadium with plushes, he would then raffle the dolls off to raise money for the foundation.
In light of the setup in the stadium, Jackson has already collected £1,400 and hopes to get even more money by August 9.
Through his past efforts, which included him swimming the equivalent of the English Channel over three months, he has raised an additional £6,500 to donate to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Claire House Children’s Hospice, where walker received treatment.
Aidan’s Teddy Bear Challenge GoFundMe can still be donated to in an effort to raise more money.
Thanks to one sweet boy’s focus toward kindness, thousands of teddy bears stood at attention to honor Walker, whose memory has helped many others just like her.
If you love these cuddly teddy bears being used for good, make sure to SHARE with friends and family on Facebook.
