Rough Riders deliver Teddy Bears and smiles

More than 30 times a year John Howell puts on his khaki pants, blue shirt and cowboy hat and heads out to area hospitals. Howell is a Rough Rider and is also the chairman of the Teddy Bear Krewe of the Rough Riders. He helps put smiles on thousands of faces each year.

"For me, more than anything else, it's about the kids," said Howell.

He talks with pride about going into hospital rooms and seeing a smile come across the face of a sick child.

"Especially during the holidays, nobody wants to be there," he said. "We give them beads and they smile. We give them a new Teddy Bear and it gives them something to hang on to during a tough time."

Howell says one of his best memories is delivering a Teddy Bear to a girl with autism. Howell says he was told the girl never spoke, but after getting the bear, she looked up to her teacher and said, "Pretty."

"You just can't put a price on that," said Howell. "It's magical."

Howell helped organize more than 65 events last year related to Teddy Bears for the Rough Riders. From Teddy Bear sorting parties, to bear pick ups and Teddy Bear Runs to local hospitals. This year the Rough Riders also expanded the program to deliver more than 200 bears to the athletes who compete in the Special Olympics.

Howell says last year the Rough Riders picked up, sorted and delivered more than 17,000 Teddy Bears. The organization adopted the program in part to honor the memory of Teddy Roosevelt. The Teddy Bear was named after our 26th president. The Teddy Bear has become an adopted symbol of the organization.

This year a number of corporate partners are stepping up to help with the Teddy Bear Roundup. Westifeld Malls in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Sarasota counties will serve as drop off locations. Several Allstate Insurance offices will also be collecting bears.

This year, Regions Bank is partnering with the Rough Riders to accept bears at all branch locations in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Pasco, Sarasota and Manatee counties. The Museum of Science and Industry is also collecting Teddy Bears. MOSI is offering a free child's admission if you bring in a new bear for the Teddy Bear Roundup.

The Rough Riders will also be collecting bears at the Holiday Fest for the annual lighted boat parade in downtown Tampa. Rough Riders will be collecting bears after the lighted boat parade at Channelside on December 4-th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.

For a complete list of Teddy Bear drop-off locations, you can keyword Teddy Bear on TBO.com

Editor's Note: Reporter Jeff Patterson is on the executive board of the Tampa Rough Riders.