Each year, more than 9,000 children are admitted to WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital. Many face serious health challenges in unfamiliar surroundings. Bears and Blankets helps make those days a little softer.
The idea wasn’t new. But the momentum was. It began in Houston, Texas, with Heather Dishman, president of the Lone Star Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association. In 2016, she was looking for a way to give back to Morgantown that any alum could get behind.
“I wanted something one-size-fits-all,” she said. “Something any alum could buy, and any child could use.”
Blankets and bears were simple, universal, and comforting. That fall, her chapter held 2 watch-party collections and gathered more than 100 items.
The next year brought floods and hurricanes, but in 2018, the chapter delivered over 250 bears and blankets to WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s, rolling carts from room to room so kids could choose their favorite.
“Watching their faces light up was unforgettable,” Dishman said. “It’s a small gesture for families, but it lets kids be kids in a hard moment.”
Word spread quickly through the alumni network. In 2024, Dishman presented the program at the Alumni Leaders Institute and, by the end of the event, other chapters were asking how to join.
One of those leaders was Loren Lazear, president of the Emerald Coast Alumni Chapter in Florida. A longtime chapter volunteer, he recognized the potential. He’d launched the chapter in 2020 after moving to Florida and finding, despite plenty of Mountaineers in the area, a lack of organized community. Lazear said Bears and Blankets has served as a rallying point for his gold-and-blue family in the Sunshine State.
Last year, Emerald Coast donated 210 of the 542 total items collected nationwide. This year, they’ve already delivered 372 bears and blankets and have raised another $2,000 to buy more.
“My truck bed and back seat were full when I traveled back for the Pitt and Utah football games,” said Lazear, laughing. They’re already blowing past their goals and aiming higher.
The excitement is contagious. Chapters from coast to coast have joined in, some re-engaging after years of quiet.
“Chapters are revitalizing because of this program,” Lazear said. “It’s about kids. Your heart goes out to them. And it’s easy and affordable for people to participate.”
Dearth agrees. He’s using game-watches and social media posts to keep momentum building.
“I’d rather have a hundred people give 10 dollars than one person give a lot,” he said. “The strength is in how many people we connect.”
And that’s the hidden power of the project: it’s not only helping children in pain or fear, but also re-energizing alumni chapters and reminding Mountaineers everywhere what it feels like to be part of a community.