The Bear Facts

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I thoroughly enjoyed "The Race for Olympic Profits" (October 1982). However, I want to set the record straight about "A Bear Market in Olympic Souvenirs" and the donation made by R. Dakin & Co. In the fall of 1980, Tri-City Civitan contacted R. Dakin & Co. on its inventory of Misha bears. We proposed that the bears be donated to Tri-City Civitan to raise funds to benefit the Special Olympics. Through Dakin's generosity, 93,000 bears were sold to Tri-City Civitan at a substantial discount. They were then repackaged by handicapped children to reflect their affiliation with the Arizona Special Olympics. The bears were then distributed throughout Arizona by Civitan Clubs and by community, employer, and parents' groups. Because of the efforts of these people and Boeing Aircraft Co employees in the Seattle area, over $300,000 was contributed to various Special Olympics organizations in Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.