Hometown Heroes: The Joy Project
From March 18 to April 10, the Joy Project will accept new stuffed bunnies and bears for kids who will be in the hospital at Easter. The two hospitals are Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas.
The bunny drive was started in 2000 by 5-year-old Hailey Whatley. The little girl with the heart of a humanitarian asked her entire school to donate bunnies and bears and they did.
Every year, Hailey led The Bunny Ambassadors until she graduated high school. Then, Trudie Troublefield took over. To honor the founder, Trudie renamed the donation drive The Joy Project Hailey's middle name is Joy. Trudie is now a Baylor Bear, and the third generation leaders are Brooke and Carys Henry, the daughters of Chief Meteorologist Dan Henry and his wife Kerry.
Brooke and Carys have a goal of 5,000 new stuffed bunnies and bears. They're also accepting cash donations to buy toiletries for families of patients. Many times, the family has to rush to the hospital and have an extended stay. The toiletries make a tense time a little easier. To make that monetary donation, log on to http://promise.cookchildrens.org/goto/thejoyproject.
To donate a new stuffed bunny or bear, you can go to Southlake DPS at 600 State Street on the police or fireside lobbies and drop off 24/7.
You can also drop off bunnies and bears at these Southlake businesses:
- Bill Tait State Farm
- Davis Pediatric Dentistry
- Darnell Dentistry
- Excel Title Company
- Eyes & Ears
- Red Diamond Home Loans
- The Bar Method
- 180 Wellness