History of Zeddy
Zeddy, Zellers' mascot since 1986,
has had a brief, but illustrious career with the Red Cross.
Thanks to a corporate partnership with Hudson's Bay Company that began in 1998
with a contribution of 24,000 of the lovable bears over a four year period.
These bears gave a lot of comfort to children
who were affected by situations totally beyond their control.
After many years of helping when it was needed the most - the Bay and Zellers
(the leading chains in the Hudson's Bay Company family of stores)
stocked the Red Cross shelves with much needed relief supplies
during the Ice Storm that ripped through eastern Canada in 1998.
Zeddy bear has become a fixture during disaster relief operations -
ranging in size from a single home house fire
to large scale disaster such as the Swiss Air plane crash
that happened near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia in September 1998.
When more than 5,000 Kosovar refugees came to Canada in the spring of 1999,
young children who had lost everything,
smiled as they clutched the open arms of this little bear.
"Our partnership with Hudson's Bay Company
continues to strengthen with each and every disaster we respond to,
" says John C. Mulvihill, Canadian Red Cross Deputy Secretary General.
