In December, the world was rocked by the tragic school shooting in a small Connecticut town. The news reverberated throughout the media and the full ramifications have yet to be seen.
Drumheller may feel distant from those events, but two residents deeply felt the loss of the children and paid their tribute to them in a unique way.
In the Friday, January 18 edition of inSide Drumheller, a photo showing the Drumheller Cenotaph adorned with teddy bears was shown with a request to learn who did it. At the time it was assumed the bears were for the veterans.
On Facebook, it was learned that Ruth Adams and Joyce Pozzolo placed the bears in memory of the children of the Connecticut shooting.
“We were having coffee and talking about the children who were killed. We went and bought 20 little teddy bears and put them there. We didn’t know where else to put them,” said Adams. “I went around and didn’t see anything at the schools. It (the Cenotaph) was the only place we could think of.”
The touching gesture was placed on the Cenotaph only several days after the shooting, but heavy snow buried the bears. The recent warm weather exposed them once again last week.
For Adams, the bears serve as a reminder.
“Every morning when I go to work I drive by and look that way and remember. I lost four people in one month and with the children passing it really hit home. I love children, I have two grandsons. Sometimes, you really feel it in your heart,” said Adams. “It made us feel good to do it. Every child needs a teddy. It wasn’t expensive and now there’s a teddy for each child.”
The two ladies also welcome any more to help remember the tragedy.
“It doesn’t hurt. Those little kids will never be forgotten,” said Pozzolo.
