Santa Maria Sun / News

Bears that care

BY FRANK GONZALES

Nothing lifts children’s spirits quite like stuffed animals. And for children who have to be in the hospital around the holidays, the cheer brought by these toys is especially welcome. Scentsy, the wickless, smokeless candle company, knows this, too. The company donated stuffed animals to every pediatric patient in Marian Regional Medical Center on Dec. 21 through the Scentsy Family Foundation’s Charitable Cause Program.

This was the second year in a row local Scentsy representatives hand-delivered the toys to children in the hospital. Each toy includes a little pouch full of the fragrances the company is known for. As for the number of plush toys given last year, Jessa Brooks, marketing specialist for Marion Regional Medical Center, recalled, “I know that [Scentsy representatives] brought tons, because we ended up giving them out also to the emergency department. Any children who came into the emergency department over the holiday last year [received a stuffed animal].”

The donation of these plush toys wasn’t the only result of Scentsy’s charity. The purchase of the stuffed animals was made possible by local donations. Each year Scentsy sells items with proceeds going to help fund two nonprofit organizations. Scentsy currently sells a specially designed candle to benefit the Special Olympics and also donated the proceeds from purchases of this year’s Scentsy animals to the Special Olympics.

For more information on supporting Marian Regional Medical Center visit supportmarianmedical.org or for more information on the Scentsy Family Foundation’s Charitable Cause Program, visit scentsyfamilyfoundation.com.

Intern Frank Gonzales compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via e-mail at intern@santamariasun.com.