Chris’n’Santa

Angel Bears Foundation Inc.

Lets us introduce ourselves – we are Christine McGrath and Slade Yuille, the founders of the Chris’n’Santa Angel Bears Foundation. This foundation was formed on March 1^st, 2003.

Christine and Slade believe in the cause for finding the lost and forgotten graves of babies and young children in Cemeteries around Australia from the early 1800’s to today.

Christine McGrath is a mother of two adult children and has been involved with disadvantaged and disabled children in Sydney NSW (Australia). Slade Yuille is a Motoring Sportsman who has represented Australia in 1997 at the Anaheim Lions International Charity car Show (USA) raising money for disabled children’s causes – and is also involved in community radio, and in the hospitality industry.

The founders, Christine and Slade, operate on a voluntary basis and encourage others to assist in the foundation’s endeavours and projects.

Various fund raising efforts and presence at community events and festivals have been planned to raise community awareness of the foundation’s work, and to the furtherance of its aims (as outlined)

Public donations and Corporate Sponsors are invited – to assist in the development of a staffed office – to enable the foundation to fully undertake its work.

The CSABF is auspiced by the Westmead Children’s Hospital Foundation, and donations are fully tax deductible

The Chris’n’Santa Foundation is currently involved with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (R) by providing Angel Bears to babies coming to the store with their mums or dads. This is provided in association with a public awareness campaign to the parents – detailing them of the Foundation’s objectives and vision

Future fund raising projects include the TEDDY BEAR PICNIC, TEDDY BEAR Boot Sale, TEDDY BEAR Show N Tell amongst others.

Details of all projects will be posted.

You can support the Chris’N’Santa Angel Bears Foundation – by joining as a Gold or Silver Angel. You will receive a certificate of your support, and regular newsletters from the CSABF, and be eligible for discounts at major retailers who join the CSABF as major corporate sponsors.

It should be noted that all donations will be solely used for the purpose of purchasing Angel Teddy Bears, nametags, Gravesite Restorations, and donations to various Children’s Hospitals throughout Australia.

We would appreciate all the assistance that we can obtain from those who really care for us to achieve in what we have set out to do, for our community and as Australians – for those babies and young children that have been lost and forgotten.

Please ask for a Sponsorship & Donations Kit to be sent directly to your address. This package outlines the objectives, projects and vision of the Chris’n’Santa Angel Bears Foundation

In 1902 (U.S.) President Theodore Roosevelt was on a hunting trip in Mississippi. As reported in the Washington Post, the presidential hunting party. trailed and lassoed a lean, black bear, then tied it to a tree. The president was summoned, but when he arrived on the scene he refused to shoot the tied and exhausted bear, considering it to be unsportsmanlike.

The following day, November 16, Clifford Barryman, Washington Post editorial cartoonist, immortalized the incident as part of a front-page cartoon montage. Barryman pictured Roosevelt, his gun before him with the butt resting on the ground and his back to the animal, gesturing his refusal to take the trophy shot. Written across the lower part of the cartoon were the words "Drawing the Line in Mississippi," which coupled the hunting incident to a political dispute.

The cartoon drew immediate attention. In Brooklyn, NY, shopkeeper Morris Michtom displayed 2 toy bears in the window of his Stationary and novelty store. The bears had been made by his wife, Rose from plush stuffed excelsior and finished with black shoe button eyes. Michtom recognized the immediate popularity of the new toy, requested and received permission from Roosevelt himself to call them "Teddy's Bears."

The little stuffed bears were a success. As demand for them increased, Michtom moved his business to a loft, under the name of the Ideal Novelty and Toy Corporation.

At the same time as it was born in The United States, the Teddy Bear was also born in Germany. The Steiff Company of Giengen produced it's first jointed stuffed bears during the same 1902-1903 period. The company had made toys for a number of years and had produced small wool-felt pincushion type animals of many varieties. The animals were the creation of Margaret Steiff. Steiff bears were first introduced at the 1903 Leipzig Fair, where an American buyer saw them and ordered several thousand for shipment to the US.

While other stories have been told regarding the birth of this wonderful toy, the simultaneous births in Brooklyn and Giengen are the best substantiated.

Learn to make your own teddy the easy way - complete with patterns and instructions.
Link: [ click here ]

The Foundation can be contacted by:

0405 252 597 (Slade Yuille – "Santa Angel Bear")

0405 259 117 (Christine Yuille – "Chris Angel Bear")

This site is hosted by radio station 3XX 1611 AM. [ link ]