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Enormous teddy

(50 Posts)
pensionpat Mon 23-Jul-18 00:03:30

For my fund-raising I have been given a donation of a teddy bear. It is 5 feet tall, the same height as myself. It's like having a lodger in the house! I want to use it to generate as much money as possible.

My first thought was a raffle, but am wondering who would want to win this. It takes up so much space, and is probably too big for a child to play with.

So I'm looking for ideas of how to use this impressive, but challenging teddy. Please put your thinking caps on.

pensionpat Mon 23-Jul-18 11:54:10

Thank you for all ideas. It is a poisoned chalice. On my travels around pensioners in their own homes many of them had a huge soft toy, bought by loving family no doubt. I've told my family never to buy one for me. During my 2 bathroom visits last night I caught sight of it and it quite unnerved me for a split second. I think I'm going to try the Teddy Bears picnic. Thank you Elegran. Thank you everyone.

stevej4491 Mon 23-Jul-18 12:02:11

Why is everybody being nasty about big bear,send him to me I'll give him a loving home.I absolutely love any stuffed toys ,any size any shape. I'm seventy four by the way and haven't lost my marbles,just love stuffed toys.

peaches50 Mon 23-Jul-18 12:11:29

GabriellG cant resist ..mary had a little bear, and everywhere that mary went you saw her bear behind....

Elegran Mon 23-Jul-18 12:17:28

Pensionpat Maybe a local cafe would let you hold the picnic in a corner on a quiet day. They would also benefit by selling coffee and cake to the mums, grans and aunties who came along, and the tables, chairs and the mop for the floor would already be in place. Drafting in a few teenage girls to help would be a good move.

acanthus Mon 23-Jul-18 12:18:59

Remember 'Hercules'? I think he was used to advertise Kleenex or toilet rolls - anyway, my mother won him in a local supermarket competition over forty years ago. He is massive - over 5' tall, in a sitting position with lovely leather footpads. Children never really took to him and I think he would frighten the grandchildren, so there he sits all alone over the garage. No good giving him to a playgroup/hospice because of H & S issues (fire hazard etc.) but I couldn't 'bear' taking him to the dump.

jenni123 Mon 23-Jul-18 12:27:59

Hi, I would absolutely LOVE this Teddy. OK I may be 76 but I love soft toys, bears in particular. About 18 months ago I won an air purifier in a competition, I didn't really want this so sold it and with the money I purchased something I really liked but couldn't justify spending my pension on, it is a 3ft Steiff Polar Bear, I love it , called him Churchill and he sits in my lounge. I have other bears sitting in my bedroom plus a very large lioness lying on my bed. I would have been happy to buy your bear.

JanaNana Mon 23-Jul-18 12:28:01

My daughter won a massive teddy in a raffle a long time ago. So big we could,nt keep it. Phoned the local hospital to see if they might like it for one of the children's wards. They jumped at the chance...there it went and was loved by many of the little patients.

fluttERBY123 Mon 23-Jul-18 12:31:23

What if 2 people pick the same date for birthday?

Biddysue Mon 23-Jul-18 12:34:56

My husband now retired from teaching won a huge bear in a school fund raising event. Big Bear lived in his school office until dh retired. Big bear now lives in the spare bedroom and loves the visits from our grandsons who love jumping on him ? !
We couldn’t part with big bear now he is part of the family .

pensionpat Mon 23-Jul-18 13:04:58

Thank you for those positive comments. There clearly will be someone out there who could love him. In the centre of our small town there will be a fun day. Thinking of holding the tea party there.

nipsmum Mon 23-Jul-18 13:06:48

My middle granddaughter aged 11 won a large teddy bear at the Guides Beetle Drive, arranged by some of the Girl guides to help fundraise for one of their projects. GD was delighted. She had to guess the birthday.

Humbertbear Mon 23-Jul-18 13:34:49

Maybe a care home would like him?

PECS Mon 23-Jul-18 13:44:09

My DGD2 won a monster toy rabbit in a local drawing competition one Easter. It is a nightmare to house & she has been forbidden to enter any sort of event where fluffy toys are the prize!! I would offer a smaller version as a prize and donate to a ch. hospice or similar that may have a huge playroom. Though if not washable probably not hygienicconfused

fourormore Mon 23-Jul-18 14:08:42

We had a huge teddy donated to a fund-raising event but no one wanted him sad
We bought him a pair of dungarees (from a charity shop!) and made him a name badge!
We named him 'Peter' after Fr Peter Walters who founded Let The Children Live! and Peter has presided at every LTCL fund raising event ever since!
Fr Peter has met his namesake and was delighted!
Peter (teddy) is very popular but I must admit I hadn't thought of charging for photos to be taken with him (ker-ching!!!) and we may try that in the future.
Peter could also hold a teddy bears picnic too!
Loads of ideas have been suggested thank you!
In between events he stays at our place and is often engaged in conversations with our GC!

Elegran Mon 23-Jul-18 14:31:22

fluttERBY123 To avoid two people choosing the same date, you have a calendar and write the name of the punter on the date they have chosen. That limits you to 365 tickets (266 in leap years)

Elegran Mon 23-Jul-18 14:34:09

Teddy could wear a Santa outfit and officiate at a Christmas lucky dip. You could probably think of several more jobs for him before he retires to a care home or children's ward.

lemongrove Mon 23-Jul-18 14:35:21

When you have finished with the charity fund raiser with the giant bear ( I like the teddy bears picnic idea by Elegran) take it out one dark night and tie it to a tree, it will be gone in 24 hours.wink

suzied Mon 23-Jul-18 14:44:31

a family member had a child who spent a long time in a well known children's hospital a few years ago. They had a huge teddy there but found it scared and distressed some of the children even to the extent of creating phobias to teddy bears in some children. The hospital got rid of it and no longer have huge teddies in the wards. So a children's hospital may not be the best place to rehome it. But I'm sure someone will love it.

lovebeigecardigans1955 Mon 23-Jul-18 16:52:37

Sorry if this has been mentioned as I haven't read the whole thread - could you dress teddy in a t-shirt with the name of the charity on it? This would attract attention and let people know what their money is going towards.
People could guess his weight, name, birthday, etc.

Bez1989 Mon 23-Jul-18 16:55:28

I remember seeing a documentary about Ann Widdecombe and sitting at the head of her large pine kitchen table was a Lovely Life Size
Rupert Bear !! I loved seeing that.

Bez1989 Mon 23-Jul-18 16:56:42

P 'S. ...smilewinesmile

lollee Tue 24-Jul-18 18:26:13

Reminded me of christmas 46 years ago when sailor hubby bought me a life size panda all the way from Plymouth to London. He kidded me all through the holiday that he had to pay full fare for it on the train and gullible me believed him. Well i was 18 at the time!

Grannyknot Tue 24-Jul-18 19:05:39

lollee smile

smithy3455 Fri 28-Sep-18 16:22:51

can i have it?