Ten ‘Casey the Bear? teddy bears were presented to the Lake Orion Police Department by Lake Orion Knights of Columbus members Tom Hines and Ken Simpson last week.
The two members were present at the LOPD station to represent Grand Knight Tony Gorsick and the 290 members of Local Council #4764.
A number of other community organizations also received the teddy bears.
LOPD Sergeant Chad Reetz said the bears come in handy when there are kids present at a crime scene or accident.
‘These kids are often traumatized, and the bears work as a good ice breaker to calm them down and get them talking again,? said Reetz.
‘Casey the Bear? is a Knights of Columbus program that has been around for over 20 years and has made stressful situations like medical emergencies or accidents easier for children to handle, Reetz said.
Around 400 Michigan Knights of Columbus Councils use ‘Casey the Bear? for community service projects.