Bose McKinney & Evans Recognized for Most Donations to ‘Bears on Patrol’ Program

Dec 11, 2012

For the fourth year in a row, the law firm of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP has collected the most stuffed animals out of any Indianapolis area law firm taking part in the IndyBar Paralegal Committee’s “Bears on Patrol” program. The paralegals of Bose McKinney & Evans contributed 1,072 bears to the annual donation drive. A total of 3,904 bears were collected overall, and turned over to the Indianapolis Fire Department. Representatives with IFD will then distribute the bears to various agencies, including the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Department and Wishard Health Services’ EMS.
Emergency responders carry the “Bears on Patrol” in their vehicles. Sheriff deputies, police officers, fire fighters and EMS teams use the toys to provide comfort to children in times of crisis, including fires, automobile accidents, domestic or child abuse calls and victims of crime.
Last year, the IndyBar Paralegal Committee collected nearly 3,200 stuffed animals that were donated for the Bears on Patrol program. This marks four years in a row that Bose McKinney & Evans earned the Certificate of Recognition for the most stuffed animals collected by a law firm.
“We’re proud to make a difference in the community by supporting such a worthwhile cause – helping bring a little comfort to kids who are dealing with very traumatic situations,” said Julia Kleinschmidt, Bose McKinney & Evans paralegal, and a member of the IndyBar Paralegal Committee. According to Kleinschmidt, participating in the program also builds strong ties between the public safety agencies and Indy area law firms.
Melissa Wakefield, another paralegal from Bose McKinney & Evans who supported “Bears on Patrol,” talked about the impact the program can have on a child – and one in particular who attended a previous IndyBar luncheon, bringing with her the bear she was given many years before as a child after an automobile accident.
“Even as an adult, she still treasures that toy and the kindness it represented at a very traumatic moment,” said Wakefield.