Nuggets' Rocky, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children team up for Teddy Bear Drive

DENVER – Sometimes heroes come in soft, fluffy packages. On Saturday, mascots from Kroenke Sports and Entertainment banded together to help with Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children’s Teddy Bear Drive. Rocky from Denver Nuggets, Bernie the St. Bernard from the Avalanche and the Mammoth’s Wooly were all in attendance to greet families and help the initiative in its third year. Last year, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children (RMHC) received 4,000 Teddy Bear donations and organizers believe this year’s event will exceed those totals. The hospital firmly believes that giving stuffed animals to children in need is a significant benefit in their road to recovery. “We had a boy, who almost died and he was transported from another hospital to here. He was given two bears. He’s alive and he’s here today and he never lets those bears go.” Maureen Tarrant, President/CEO of RMHC, explained. “[Those bears] didn’t save his life, but it saved his spirit.”  She added, “To hear from first responders directly the difference its made [in the patients’] lives, just means the world to me.”  KSE also donated 20 Teddy Bears and its mascots took a part of several activities, including jump rope, with the children on hand.  “I watch the joy that those mascots bring, particularly to children,” Tarrant said. “I watch those mascots and how much they mean to the kids. So thank you [KSE] for bringing them out.”