Stuffy Guard Project: Mission Statement
An Open Letter from General George
Attention all recruits and interested parties. My name is General George Bear. Welcome to the Stuffy Guard Command.
As some of you may know, I attended Gatecon 2000 as a mascot of the Teddy Bear Brigade of the TRFC. Various bears were collected for a charity centered around Teryl Rothery’s birthday. After the success of that charity drive, I’ve been considering other charity work.
Then I met General Ursidae and the Stuffy Guard Command was born. She had heard of the teddy bear drive and felt compelled to join the once modest cause.
In 2001, we were able to recruit almost 800 stuffed animals to the SGCC. These brave recruits are serving with the Starlight Children's Foundation British Columbia Vancouver Expansion Effort Committee. Their mission: brightening the lives of seriously ill children.
In 2002, nearly 1600 stuffies signed up for service. Even "gently loved" stuffies decided to return to service. These patriotic souls are serving with the Starlight Children's Foundation British Columbia Vancouver Expansion Effort Committee, the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation of San Diego, CA, and other charitable organizations around the world.
In 2003, we managed to recruit 2003 stuffies to join our ranks, in honor of Teryl Rothery, as a thank you for all of the wonderful work she's done on Stargate SG-1 over the past 7 years. She is an inspiration to us all.
In 2004, we broke all previous records and recruited 2950 stuffies to join our ranks. These brave stuffies joined their brothers and sisters from previous years in brightening the live of ill or scared children around the world.
In 2005, we didn't quite make our goal of 2700 stuffed animals. Because it was our fifth year, we were hoping to hit 10,000 stuffies in five years. We fell short by exactly 1000 stuffies.
On a more personal note, in 2005 I made the ultimate decision to retire and step down as official mascot for the SGPA. I've put in five long, incredible years, but my poor old body just isn't up to the daily stresses anymore. And so, on 28 July 2005, during the SGPA presentation, Colonel Terrapin announced my formal retirement and introduced my successor, a beautiful big girl name Georgia Ann. She was named Georgia Ann partially to keep the "George" aspect and also as a memorial to a very dear lady we knew from Gatecon named Peggy Ann. The woman was a tiny whirlwind of love and spitfire, who has been sorely missed by all who knew her. I think it was a wonderful way to commemorate a lovely lady.
Our goal this year is to recruit, through you, 2700 stuffed animals by 30th September 2006. We will be in attendance at Timeless Destinations in Vancouver, and wish we could be able to attend Gatecon UK as well. The new recruits will be donated to the British Columbia Children's Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, after the Timeless Destinations convention is over. Any new stuffed animals received after that point will either be donated to the BCCH or another hospital after the September deadline. Any "gently loved" recruits will be reporting to a variety of domestic violence shelters world-wide.
For the first time in 2006, all of our monetary proceeds will be going to a very specific goal: assisting Victoria Roberts' family in raising money for her bone marrow transplant. Colonel Terrapin first heard about this girl on a radio station she listens to from Portland, OR. The latest news is that a bone marrow donor has been found, but the family is still in need of about $150,000 US to reach their goal of $325,000.
Thank you for your time, and once again, welcome.
General George Bear
SGCC Mascot
