It all started with a pink teddy bear. It was such a simple gesture but it would launch an online movement that would turn into a global phenomenon. If you’re relatively new around here, you’ve probably seen the inspiring weekly Chive Charities stories fueled by this incredible community. You probably assumed it’s always been this way. A $45,000 wheelchair accessible van for a child with the rarest of diseases last week. A $30,000 home renovation for a Vietnam War veteran this week.
But back in 2011, the primordial soup that was theCHIVE lacked a binding agent. True, there were millions of visitors frequenting the site. However, the Humor and Hotness that grew the popular site to what it is today needed one more ingredient: Humanity. Enter the Fluvanna County Volunteer Rescue Squad.
The volunteers at Fluvanna County had taken to giving the teddy bears to children during emergency trips to calm the children’s nerves. But as of February 2011, there would be no more pink teddy bears. The rescue squad had lost their government grant and would be shutting their doors within the month. Luckily, volunteer Kenny George wrote John Resig a Hail Mary letter asking for help.
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