Eight Waves, Bears Who Care merge

Sara Meyer, founder and executive director of Eight Waves, was able to see firsthand the joy that can come from giving a bear and a new book to a child.

She was with Tad Schmitz talking about the nonprofit Bears Who Care. The organization was founded by Tad Schmitz’s wife, Kari Kron Schmitz. 

A 2-year-old girl saw the bears and books and her face lit up, Meyer said. 

Meyer offered the girl to choose a book to take home.

“She was very intentional,” Meyer said of the girl choosing the book. “The mom was just like, ‘This is the coolest program I’ve ever seen,’ and it showed that. It might sound simple, but sometimes it’s those simple things that make the biggest difference.”

After having that experience and hearing about the legacy of Kron Schmitz, who died in January 2024 after a seven-month cancer battle, Meyer felt confident and overjoyed to have Bears Who Care merge with Eight Waves to continue Kron Schmitz’s mission and legacy.

Bears Who Care now will join Eight Waves, which will start distributing bears and books in October. 

Bears Who Care started in 2008 as a way for Kron Schmitz and Tad Schmitz to give back to their community. They decided to raise money to provide books and teddy bears to ill and disadvantaged children. Since then, Schmitz said the nonprofit has donated more than 30,000 bears and books. The nonprofit provided bears and books to hospitals and Title I schools in Central Florida.

After Kron Schmitz’s passing, Schmitz said his family and the nonprofit’s board took time to reflect on how to continue Bears Who Care’s mission in a meaningful way. 

“I wanted to ensure Bears Who Care could grow beyond us, reach more children and communities and after talking to Sara (with Eight Waves) and hearing about their mission, it felt like it was just a natural partnership,” Schmitz said. “They share our values, and they have the infrastructure to scale the mission better than I’m set up to do.”

Meyer said having Bears Who Care join Eight Waves will help the nonprofit restart its litearcy program for babies, Books for Babies, in which the nonprofit gave a book to every baby born at Orlando Health. She said the program had to stop because of finances, but with the support of Bears Who Care, Eight Waves will be able to help more children. Bears Who Care supports children between ages 1 and 12 who have been affected by an illness, injury, disaster or financial hardship.

“When you are a child and have access to your own brand new book, that crisp smell, you don’t have to return it, there’s something very magical about that,” Meyer said. 

Meyer recalled when her son was in the hospital when he was younger and the impact having a book or bear could be for children who are scared in the hospital.

“As much as the hospital can love on you and provide opportunities and crafts even, to leave with something that’s yours and to have that soft bear as you’re maybe giving blood or being poked or having your blood pressure checked, it provides a level of comfort that is very soothing,” she said. “They can take it home and remember that that bear was with them in some of those harder moments, and now it’s theirs to be there in the good moments.”

Meyer said although she never met Kron Schmitz, hearing stories about her and hearing from Bears Who Care supporters and partners inspired Meyer to want to honor the nonprofit founder. She said she wants to make Kron Schmitz proud.

“Each decision and each thought would be to mirror what would Kari do, would Kari do this?” Meyer said. 

Schmitz said what was most important to him was for his wife’s legacy to continue. 

“Our mission was always comfort in connection and hope through the bear and the book,” he said. “Kari believed these kids should have that opportunity to not only have the teddy bear for comfort but the book to encourage literacy and take adventures through reading. It feels really good that that can continue in Kari’s memory.”

Through Eight Waves, Schmitz hopes more children can be reached. 

“I know we’re not solving world hunger, but we’re putting a smile on a kid’s face in the local community, and that means something,” he said. 

Meyer said she hopes Bears Who Care can help 800 children when distribution starts in October.