Bluejays bring teddy bears, smiles

Creighton senior forward Jimmy Motz points out a signature on the Creighton media guide. Motz and his teammates were at the medical center Tuesday to distribute teddy bears to children.

The Creighton University men’s basketball team stopped by the medical center Tuesday to practice a new offensive play – Operation Bear Hug.

The only snag came at the end of the game when Creighton’s Anthony Tolliver was rejected by a little boy standing knee-high to the 6-foot-9 center.

An amused Tolliver took it in stride, however, as the youngster silently shook his head from side-to-side as Tolliver again asked whether he wanted the teddy bear.

In all, 24 teddy bears were adopted Tuesday when the Creighton basketball players visited the Pediatric Clinic in UNMC’s Durham Outpatient Center. The 16 players distributed the bears on behalf of the Assistance League of Omaha, which organizes the year-round program to give teddy bears to children.

“Kids make you smile and you forget all about your problems,” said junior guard Nick Bahe. “It’s a good way to get away.”

Creighton junior guards Nick Porter, left, and Nick Bahe, right, are challenged to a game of tic-tac-toe.

Sophomore guard Pierce Hibma tried to convince one young girl, who was busy drawing at the chalkboard, to adopt Timmy the Bear. Bahe eventually sat Timmy on a nearby chair and propped up a book for him to read while he challenged the girl to a tic-tac-toe game on the chalkboard.

With smiles and laughter, the team executed Operation Bear Hug for more than two quarters of an hour and scored additional points by autographing Creighton media guides for children and their parents.

Six-year-old Liberty Hicks hugged her brown teddy bear and proudly announced: “His name is Monroe.” Her 4-year-old sister, Glory, had yet to name her bear.

Although Liberty is not familiar with the talents of seniors Nate Funk, Jimmy Motz and Johnny Mathies, she knows all about the Creighton Bluejays. Her dad is an avid soccer fan and they attend Creighton soccer games in their Bluejay attire.

For the players, it was a rewarding prelude to Wednesday’s match against Norfolk State.

Said Tolliver: “It’s fun to be around little kids and make their day.”