Homeless teddies given new purpose

Maketu Rotary president Juliette Brawn, teddy bear knitter and Maketu Rotarian Wendy Cantlon and Te Puke Waipuna Hospice Shop manager Catherine Sipson.

What do you do when you have 50 knitted teddies on your hands, and nowhere for them to go?

It's a dilemma that recently struck Maketū Rotary Club member Wendy Cantlon.

For a number of years, Wendy and relatives Julie Fairbrother and Jean Patterson have knitted teddies that have gone to two Rotary initiatives ROMAC and Interplast.

ROMAC provides urgent, life-changing medical treatment to children from developing countries who need it the most. The children are normally brought to New Zealand.

Interplast sends teams of volunteer plastic and reconstructive surgeons and allied health professionals to the Asia-Pacific region to carry out life-changing procedures on children

The bears are usually sent to the children having the procedures, but with Covid-19 restricting those initiatives, but lockdown affording plenty of time to make them Wendy was stuck with 50 homeless teddies.

Then she hit on the idea of taking them to the Waipuna Hospice Shop in Te Puke where they are now for sale for $6 each.

"They are fantastic, we love them and they are raising money for Waipuna Hospice - it's a wonderful donation," says shop manager Catherine Sipson.