By Beth David, Editor
This year’s annual Teddy Bear Parade in Fairhaven had a special visit from President Teddy Roosevelt, who is, in case you did not know, the reason we have “Teddy” bears at all.
It was a hunting trip in 1902 in Mississippi that started it all. President Theodore Roosevelt was not able to find a bear to shoot. So the party he was with trapped a poor, old bear and trussed it up for the president to shoot. Mr. Roosevelt felt bad for the bear and did not shoot it.
The political cartoons of the day made much fun of the event.
A creative retailer named Morris Michtom got permission to use the term “Teddy Bear” and started selling the stuffed bears at his candy shop in Brooklyn, NY, eventually founding the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company.
Teddy Roosevelt and Daisy D. Dots pose together at the annual Teddy Bear Parade in Fairhaven on Wednesday, 8/3. Beth David photo.
Mr. Roosevelt told the Neighb News that it was fitting for him to be in our little burg.
After all, he said, the whole business started with him.
“Because I wouldn’t shoot that bear.”
The annual Teddy Bear Parade is the grand finale for the Millicent Library’s reading program. This year’s theme was “On your mark, get set. Read.”
The parade filed past the seniors at Our Lady’s Haven, bringing togrther all ages, albeit for just a short while.
Daisy D. Dots was on hand painting faces, and parade participants got free Teddy Grahams (what else?) and juice drinks.
To learn more about the Millicent and its children’s programs, call t 508-992-5342, or email Jane Murphy (jmurphy@sailsinc.org), or visit http://www.millicentlibrary.org/
To learn more about Teddy Roosevelt and the Teddy Bear, visit www.TheodoreRoosevelt.org
To see more photos, click to download the 8/4/16 issue: 08-04-16 TeddyBearParade
