For Lesley Mallett, Teddy bears are more than just a childhood toy; they’re a collector’s item, source of income and, most recently, a way to raise money for the Children’s Aid Foundation.
Mallett is a Teddy bear artist who lives in Fergus.
More than 17 years ago she had her own small business in Richmond Hill where she made two to three bears a week, but now she only makes Teddy bears for special occasions, one of which is the Teddy Bear Affair, a charity event held annually in Toronto.
For 17 years Mallett has been creating custom mohair, fully-jointed Teddy bears (the head and arms move) for this black-tie event, which are then sold for hundreds of dollars in a silent auction.
All of the proceeds go to the Children’s Aid Foundation.
“Because I think Teddy bears are fundamentally about children,” she said when asked why she donates to the fundraiser. “And because I’m a big kid.”
This year the theme of the Nov. 1 Teddy Bear Affair held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was Italy and Mallett chose to create a Pavarotti Bear, which sold for $325 in the silent auction.
“My late dad was a big fan of Pavarotti and he popped into my head so I asked if I could do him,” she said. “Then I thought ‘my goodness, what have I done.’”
In total, the event raised $1.7 million for the Children’s Aid Foundation, she said.
Over the years, Mallett has collected Teddy bears; some are her own, while others have been purchased. When it comes to artisan Teddys, no two are ever identical, even when the same pattern is used, Mallet said. They’re all handmade and they’re all unique.
Mallett’s next project is to create an artistic bear for her future granddaughter.
“Pretty much the first bear I made was for my daughter when she was born and now I’m about to make a bear for my first grandchild who’s about to be born,” Mallett said. “So instead of making one bear a year I will actually make two this coming year, one for the baby and one for the foundation.”
