Agoura High students craft memorial teddy bears

BEAR HUGS-Students in Kim Speth's first period clothing construction class at Agoura High display some of the 25 teddy bears they made for families of hospice patients. The bears are sewn from a favorite piece of clothing or a blanket that will remind families of their lost loved one. Students in Kim Speth's clothing construction class at Agoura High School recently reached out to the community-inspired by an article they read in a June 2005 issue of The Acorn about the Westlake Village-based Buena Vista Hospice Care's "Memorial Bear" program.

The hospice asks families grieving the loss of a loved one to choose a favorite article of clothing or a blanket that represents a positive remembrance of their loved one. The fabric is then crafted into a stuffed "memorial bear" and returned to the family as a keepsake.

Agoura High School student Kayla Spiroff read the article about the program and approached Speth about it. When Speth asked her students about the idea of participating

in the program, their response was enthusiastic. Students crafted 25 memorial bears to present to families through the hospice.

Those interested in volunteering for this program should call Diane at (805) 777-1133.