The Teddy Bear Bus Offers Hope to Ukrainian Refugees

2022-05-27 23:31:51 By : Ms. Jane Yan

Children fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine are gifted a plush toy from volunteers when they arrive in Hungary.

(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) 

More than four million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded in late February, and more than half of them are children. For these youngsters, especially for those who fled while one or more parents stayed behind to fight, moments of hope and joy are few and far between.

Those arriving at Záhony, Hungary, like the child pictured above, have gotten one such surprise through the gift of a teddy bear or similarly adorable stuffy, courtesy of the “Teddy Busz.” The bus driver and project founder, UK resident David Fricker, and three friends drove with more than 3,000 plush toys they had collected from public donations from Weston, United Kingdom, to Záhony, where they have distributed them at the train station.

Read more stories by Marcie Bianco.

Marcie Bianco is an editor at SSIR.

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