Annual Teddy Bear Walk gears up for children

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Special to The Vindicator MAKING IT FUN: At the 2008 Teddy Bear Walk, volunteers and a clown joined the 32nd Degree Masons in an effort to help children with dyslexia.

CANFIELD — If you want to feel warm and fuzzy all over, make plans to go to the Sixth Annual Teddy Bear Walk, which will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Canfield Fairgrounds.

The members of the 32nd Degree Masons of the Valley, of Youngstown, invite the community to take part in the walk to support the Children’s Learning Center for children with dyslexia.

Chairman Robert McBride is again seeking the support of the Valley and the tri-county community to walk, donate or volunteer.

The center, on Wick Avenue, is the only place that children with dyslexia can go for the specialized help that they desperately need to improve their academic abilities.

In 1997, the center was the second learning center to open for children with dyslexia in Ohio and the fourth in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Since that time, more than 176 children have been assisted in overcoming their learning problem.

To register for the walk or to make a donation, call (330) 482-0200.

It takes about $5,000 to tutor each child for a year. Dorothy Tesner, the director of the center, reports that 30 children are receiving services, and there is a waiting list for children in need of the services.