Jill Cook

Jill Cook has always loved writing, especially poetry, a family legacy passed down as her mom, grandma and now her daughter write poetry as well. But it was her love of children that brought the storyteller out in her. “Buddy was my daughter’s bear. It sat on her bed from childhood, even when the other toys were given away.” Now a retired nurse, it was the Teddy Bear Bash at the hospital where she worked over twenty-three years ago that inspired her first Buddy the Teddy story. “We took the bear for photos at the ski hill, in the ambulance, at x-ray, etc., with the message of how our hospital staff were friendly and caring, so I wrote a poem about “Buddy”. Now in retirement, Buddy’s life has taken off and it is Jill’s mission to bring his overall message of kindness to children all over the world. She has sent hundreds of teddies across the globe to make children-and the world- a happier place. “ I always keep little teddies in my purse and hand them out to children I encounter during my day. This is part of my teddy bear mission.” Buddy the Teddy and the Buddy Bench is all about showing kindness and being a friend to those who need one. I was always shy at school and know how hard it can be to make a friend. Jill runs a small Christian retreat on her 40-acre property near Saskatoon, which is available to anyone who needs a quiet country space. And who knows? You might see Buddy there-roaming the nearby woods.