American Bank's Holiday Bear Drive Celebrates 30 Years

American Bank’s 30th annual Holiday Bear Drive kicked off this month. This community-focused event provides an opportunity for American Bank clients, employees, neighbors and friends to donate stuffed bears to children and families in need of support as they rebuild and stabilize their lives. Donations of new stuffed teddy bears will be accepted at any American Bank location through December 31.

The stuffed bears will be displayed under our branch’s Christmas trees throughout the holiday season before being donated to the following organizations:

• Camp Aranzazu – Based near Rockport, Camp Aranzazu is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults with special needs and chronic illnesses by providing unique camping, environmental education, and retreat experiences.
• Boysville – Boysville has provided safety and shelter for boys in San Antonio for more than 80 years. Since its inception, Boysville has expanded to include girls from infants through college or vocational schools consistent with their mission statement of “Helping boys and girls become responsible adults.”
• Mainspring Schools – Headquartered in Austin, Mainspring Schools provides underserved children and their families with a community for high-quality early education, nutrition, family services, and community building.
• Nueces County Court at Law No. 5, Judge Timothy McCoy – Located in Corpus Christi, Judge McCoy’s Court is a specialized docket, hearing cases involving juvenile delinquency, Child Protective Services, and guardianship.
• The Purple Door – The Purple Door is a nonprofit agency providing free services and a safe shelter to victims and survivors of family violence and sexual assault throughout a 12-county region of South Texas.
• Hospice of South Texas – Located in Victoria, Hospice of South Texas services 11 counties in South Texas. Providing care and comfort to those struggling with serious illnesses.

American Bank’s annual Holiday Bear Drive debuted in 1994. Since the program’s inception, more than 23,000 teddy bears have been donated to organizations across the state.