Virtual Hugs 4 Heroes

In times of distress, whether it’s a pandemic, natural disaster or an accident, the first people on the scene are our nation’s first responders. These individuals are trained with the necessary knowledge to combat whatever crisis comes our way, and to make our lives safer and more secure in the wake of unpredictable distress. There are many first responders, such as EMS, firefighters, healthcare professionals and more, who put their safety on the line for the sake of others. They are deserving of our thanks and admiration.

As these heroic first responders help those most at risk, this program allows us to come together to show our support for local heroes in a unique way: via the donation of hand-assembled personalized stuffed animals, along with a “message of thanks” and an optional gift card from an online meal delivery service company, for a local hero of each participant’s choosing! On the day of your event, after time is taken for participants to share their own local hero stories from their communities while sitting at virtual tables, participants assemble the stuffed animals while on live video with their tablemates. The program also results in a cash donation to a local first responder organization, heroes in their own right! Depending on timing and availability, a representative from the benefitting first responder organization joins the video conference to say a personal thanks and to raise awareness of the work they do to support the local community.