Donors deliver more than 200 teddy bears to sick children

DOWNEY -- The UCLA Alumni Los Angeles Southeast Network (“Southeast Bruins”) delivered over 200 teddy bears to children undergoing cancer treatment at UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital on Monday.

This is the third year that the Southeast Bruins team up with recent UCLA alumna Alexandra Munoz and her mom, Sylvia Munoz, who is also a UCLA alumna.

Alexandra is a cancer survivor and underwent cancer treatment while a student at UCLA. She credits a teddy bear with comforting her through the cold, lonely nights at the Hospital.

Since being cleared of cancer, Alexandra has collected teddy bears and delivered them to children undergoing cancer treatment. This year, the Southeast Bruins received help from the Beachside Bruins and collected more than 200 teddy bears during the annual Southeast Bruins Holiday Party and Teddy Bear Drive that is held at Stay Gallery.

The multiple boxes of teddy bears were delivered by Alexandra, her mom, and attorneys Ricardo Perez and Alex Valenzuela, both UCLA alumni and southeast board members. The group was officially welcomed by Dr. Satiro N. Oliveira, M.D. and Alice del Rosario from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

After the official Teddy Bear handoff, the group was given a guided tour of the Mattel Children’s Hospital.

For more information about the event or the group, please contact Ricardo Perez, Southeast Bruins Vice President, at rperez@alumni.ucla.edu.