Passengers at George Best Belfast City Airport have purchased over 600 cuddly bear toys in support of a campaign to bring festive cheer to sick children.

The plush toys, sold through World Duty Free’s ‘Buy a Bear’ initiative, have been donated to children of the Royal Victoria Hospital’s Children’s Cancer Unit.

As a result, all 470 children in the hospital received a Red Kay or Green Lancelot bear plus a Christmas jumper when Belfast City Airport delivered the soft toys to the unit last week.

Thanking passengers for their charitable donations, Joanne Deighan, Commercial Manager, Belfast City Airport said: “Our passengers, once again, showed their incredible kindness and we have been able to not only give a little bear to all children in the Royal Victoria Hospital, but we were also able to give them to the Children’s Hospice.”

‘WONDERFUL RESPONSE’

Running for its second year in a row, WDF’s Buy a Bear initiative follows the ‘wonderful response’ received from passengers last year, according to WDF’s Ciara Hamill.

“We wanted to do something nice for the kids, and though it is only a small gesture, we hope the bears will bring some festive cheer,” she said.

Jacqueline Wilkinson, from the Children’s Cancer Unit Charity added: “Donations to the Children’s Cancer Unit come in a variety of forms and we are very grateful that World Duty Free could organise this initiative for a second year.

“For a small donation, passengers from Belfast City Airport have helped bring a smile to children living with cancer this Christmas.”