U.S.F. College of Nursing to deliver bears to children at local hospitals

College of Nursing launches its third annual B.E.A.R.S. campaign on Dec. 1

Tampa, FL (Nov. 25, 2014) – It’s that time of year again! University of South Florida College of Nursing will deliver cuddly teddy bears to sick children at local hospitals this holiday season.

The custom gray bears, dressed in their own 2014 USF Nursing uniforms, will be hand delivered by more than 100 students, faculty, staff and alumni to pediatric patients as part of the college’s Bulls Encouraging and Assisting through Research and Scholarship (B.E.A.R.S.) program.

B.E.A.R.S. encourages alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends to support the college while sharing a little joy with children in the Tampa Bay community. The proceeds help benefit the college’s research and student success initiatives.

Volunteers will deliver to the following hospitals:

• Tampa General Hospital – Monday, Dec. 1, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Sarasota Memorial Hospital – Tuesday, Dec. 2, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“B.E.A.R.S. is now a holiday tradition for USF College of Nursing,” said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing. “Since we launched the program in 2012, we’ve brought smiles to hundreds of hospitalized children—and we’ll continue to do so again this holiday season.”

The teddy bears, donated by college supporter, Christopher J. Davis, president of LAD Enterprises, Inc., are charitable gifts that contribute to the USF Unstoppable Campaign, a comprehensive fundraising effort by USF to celebrate the energy, vision and future of one of the country’s most exciting and engaged universities.

For information on how to participate in the B.E.A.R.S. program, visit www.usfnursingbears.com.

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

Media Contact:
Vjollca “V” Hysenlika
College of Nursing Communications
(813)974-2017, or
vhysenli@health.usf.edu

Written by Vjollca “V” Hysenlika