St. Patrick's Day Teddy Bear Club

Everyone grows up and views things a bit differently. As an adult, a rainbow is merely what happens when the light shines through water. The light is bent and reflected, like a reflection in a mirror, and this causes all of the colors that you see. As a child, a rainbow is a map and a race to reach the pot of gold before the rainbow disappears. It’s magical and evokes feelings of wonder. Last month USO brought a bit of this colorful magic to Support Site for Teddy Bear Club. What made this Teddy Bear Club magical? It was a Saint Patrick’s Day themed Teddy Bear Walking Club which was pretty lucky when the event fell directly on St. Patrick’s Day. This program was also a walking one where the parents and little ones could enjoy the fresh air and sunshine together. The families checked in and received a map of the walking path and a clover that was personalized for each child so that everyone could have a bit of green for the day. It was something small but made each child feel special having something with their name on it. The fun didn’t stop there. Green jello was passed out to everyone so that everyone could have a festive snack while enjoying the walking path. Some of the kids had never had jello before, so it was special to see the introduction of this new food. It won the taste test among the 0-4 crowd. At the very beginning, the families were handed a cloud with one colorful ring that would start the rainbow chain. The chain would grow with each color presented at each of the four stations on the walking path. At the final station, each child would receive the final color to complete the rainbow and a final piece which was a pot of gold. Is a rainbow even a rainbow without its pot of gold at the end? The kids who attended were given a snack bag filled with items that were a play on all things St Patrick’s day. The snacks were a pot of goldfish, leprechaun bait, green gummies, applesauce, and a juice for them to enjoy as well. The parents enjoyed all of the St. Patrick themed touches. Some children in attendance proclaimed this to be “The best day ever”. That level of enjoyment was contagious and brought a smile to all of the faces of USO staff and volunteers. It could be said that level of happiness is the organization’s own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.