One of our patrol cars is loaded with stuffed animals for kids.

Recently, Troop L received 428 stuffed animals for the Care Bear Program that provides troopers with stuffed animals to give out to children who have been involved in vehicle crashes or any other traumatic event. Sarah Stanley from The SMART SunGuide Transportation Management Center coordinated an interoffice campaign to collect stuffed animals to give to the troopers.

The collection efforts quickly spread to partnering agencies, friends, and family. The original goal was to collect 100 stuffed animals. However, the result was four times that amount. The stuffed animals were presented to Sergeant Mark Wysocky, one of Troop L’s Public Affairs Officers, at the SMART SunGuide Awards program.

The stuffed animals were distributed to other FHP stations and to the Joe Dimaggio Children’s Hospital.

L-R Sarah Stanley, Sgt. Mark Wysocky, Kristopher Pidgeon, and Dr. Eddy Carillo

Sergeant Mark Wysocky presented the stuffed animals to Dr. Eddy Carrillo, Director of Trauma Services, and Kristopher Pidgeon, Trauma Outreach Nurse Educator, at a Trauma Symposium sponsored by the Memorial Healthcare System.