Lucky, the missing bear whose safe return came with a hefty reward, has returned home thanks to a Vancouver resident who offered up an identical stuffed toy.
Langley, B.C., father Gregory Gron had plastered his neighbourhood with posters offering a $1,000 reward for the return of his four-year-old daughter Victoria’s beloved plush teddy bear, after he realized he drove away with the toy left on top of his car.
Lucky and Victoria had been inseparable since she was six months old and with its scruffy fur and stitched bottom, the bear was one of a kind, Mr. Gron said.
The father spent hours searching every garbage can and interviewing local businesses before a security guard told Mr. Gron he had seen a car stop and snatch the toy off the road.
Distraught, Mr. Gron and his wife turned to their pediatrician to decide how to break the news to their daughter. The doctor suggested they tell her Lucky was on vacation. Mr. Gron then launched an exhaustive campaign for the return of the stuffed toy.
Wednesday, his unusual efforts paid off after a resident of Vancouver’s North Shore called Mr. Gron to offer an identical bear in slightly better condition. Mr. Gron wouldn’t reveal any information about the person who gave him the new bear, but said both agreed the $1,000 reward should be donated to the Red Cross for earthquake relief in Japan.
Meanwhile, Victoria is happy with her slightly refurbished Lucky and hasn’t noticed the difference.
“She has taken a liking to him. He’s an identical carbon copy of Lucky,” Mr. Gron said. “We explained to her that he was on a trip and came back all cleaned up.”
Mr. Gron said that since he posted the reward, some people have criticized him for going to such extreme lengths to protect his daughter from the inevitable pain of losing a favourite toy. While he agrees a $1,000 reward for a teddy bear seems outrageous, Mr. Gron said he was willing to do anything to reunite Victoria with her beloved bear.
“Yes, she will lose things in the future. Yes, she’s going to lose best friends. Yes, she’s going to have hard times,” he said. “But, I guess I’m trying to preserve her innocence as long as I can.”
National Post, with files from Tamsin McMahon
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