Cameron Houle and Madison Vanderhooft announce ‘Cuddles 4 Kids’ on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 alongside Mayor Sam Katz. (OFFICE OF THE MAYOR)
Children who find themselves in emergency situations will have a stuffed companion by their side through a new initiative with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
The WFPS has partnered with school-aged cousins Madison Vanderhooft, 10, and Cameron Houle, 13, for Cuddles 4 Kids.
The program will make 140 donated stuffed animals available to emergency personnel in city ambulances to hand out to children during a crisis situation.
“Thanks to the efforts of Madison and Cameron, these stuffed animals will bring comfort to young children experiencing a family health emergency,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “The City of Winnipeg thanks both of these young people for showing such generosity of spirit and for reaching out to family and school friends to collect stuffed animals to help make others feel better.”
The cousins collected the freshly-cleaned, new and gently-used stuffed animals through their schools after Vanderhooft’s mother, Alex, approached the WFPS with the idea last November.
