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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Deer devour hemp crops at Southern Oregon farm ... Highway 199 wrecks stalling coast traffic to the Rogue Valley ... Two dead in plane crash near Creswell airport ... Deer devour hemp crops at Southern Oregon farm ... Highway 199 wrecks stalling coast traffic to the Rogue Valley ... Two dead in plane crash near Creswell airport ... Making a difference ... one bear at a time Local girl collects hundreds of stuffed bears to give to kids traumatized by emergencies CENTRAL POINT — Five-year-old Taylor Mireles wants to be a firefighter when she grows up. Comment By Buffy Pollock MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock Posted May. 18, 2008 at 12:01 AM By Buffy Pollock Posted May. 18, 2008 at 12:01 AM » Social News CENTRAL POINT — Five-year-old Taylor Mireles wants to be a firefighter when she grows up. Just heading into kindergarten this fall, she's years from handling medical emergencies and rushing into burning buildings, so she's decided to try to make a difference on a smaller scale. With teddy bears. Taylor is collecting stuffed animals for local firefighters to give to children during medical and fire-related emergencies. The stuffed animals, usually stuffed teddy bears or stuffed dogs, help calm children who might be scared " 'cause of the fires," the 5-year-old said. "And I'm getting them on my own because them are for the kids and I'm collecting them in boxes in a room at my house." All told, she's collected just shy of 100, but fliers are posted at the family's church and local schools in hopes for more. Taylor's mom, Angela Mireles, said the idea was entirely her daughter's. "We were watching something about firefighters the other day and she saw that they carry stuffed animals on their vehicles to hand out to kids," said Mireles. "She wanted to know what would happen if they ran out and I said I guess they'd have to get more." Thus, "Teddies to the Rescue" was born in a spare bedroom in the family's home. For her part, Taylor has even parted with some long-time favorites. "She actually went through her personal ones and, a couple she was somewhat attached to, she gave them a hug and was like, 'Go make someone happy.' She had a hard time with a couple of them so we were really proud of her." Fire District 3 Captain Mark Miner said Taylor had been by the station on Highway 99 a few times to visit and the girl's donation would be put to good use. Miner noted that the department gets large donations fairly regularly but only stuffed animals in new condition can be used. "She came for a tour one day and it was something they really wanted to do," Miner said. Minder said any size donation would likely keep the local departments staffed for some time to come — about two dozen are handed out each year. Teddies to the Rescue will run through June 14. New stuffed animal donations can be dropped off at Zion Book Store at 237 E. Pine St., Central Point. Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. By Buffy Pollock MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock Posted May. 18, 2008 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501