WOW! It’s hard to believe that it’s only just a year since setting up the AAMB website to rescue Jigsaw from his miserable life in a cage on a farm in China or Vietnam. Yet suddenly we have raced towards the finish line – or FREEDOM line – for our beautiful bear. Money has been pouring in this last week and we are but a nose away from adopting Jigsaw!

So one last heartwarming story about fuN-raising. Class 3 at Angaston Primary School in Sth Australia kept their promise to Jigsaw and raised enough for their 3rd piece of the puzzle. They invited their whole school to join in a Teddy (Moon) Bear picnic day, with Best Decorated Bear competition (1st, 2nd & 3rd prizes awarded by a mum) and at lunchtime they had lots of fun activities and games, assisted by their wonderful teacher Ann Watkins.  Ann shares the day’s fun with us below:

“The best race was the one where pairs of students had to race holding a bear between them.  It looked so much fun and there were children who wanted to do it all again. Jigsaw won his medal (first prize) in this race with Isabel and Casey.

“Our Jigsaw is a Moon Bear soft toy that Isabel has been bringing to school. He sits at a group table each week (and can be held by anyone at that table while they are working) and we say “Good Afternoon” to him at the end of each day (before he goes home with Isabel).  Jigsaw has his own hammock in the classroom and sometimes does the school work that the children are doing (they make small exeercise books for him, etc) He is a lot of fun!”

Young Isabel Emmett, who introduced Jigsaw to her classmates created a very poignant reminder of a farmed bear’s miserable life by placing her bear Jigsaw into a “cage”.

Teacher Ann Watkins has continued to be inspired by her pupils’ commitment:  “It’s been a great experience working with this class who have been so motivated about the plight of the Moon Bears.  It’s great to know that the real Jigsaw is not far away!”

“One thing I’ve learned from the children this year is that they really do want to be proactive and make a difference to causes they care about. They also have very good ideas for “funraising” and getting their concerns out to others.”

It’s not long at all now for Jigsaw! So if you have been teetering on the brink of donating, then NOW would be a very good time to join our big happy family who will shortly celebrating Jigsaw’s rescue!