PALM HARBOR – Patrick Pedraja, 13, of Palm Harbor has advanced to the finalist round of the 2009 search for Huggable Heroes. Pedraja is one of 50 young people from the United States and Canada honored and “cele-bear-ated” by a Build-A-Bear workshop for dedication and compassion to make the world a better place.
Pedraja created Driving for Donors, a 501(c)(3) charity that aims to increase the number of people on the national marrow donor list. He travels around the country and to other countries to hold marrow drives to help find life-saving marrow matches for people in need. He fundraises by selling ads on his bald head, in addition to speaking publicly to groups and businesses to encourage other young people to become socially active. Pedraja has personally raised more than $160,000 by selling ads on his head and hosting fundraiser drives, as well as helped to add more than 150,000 new donors to the National Marrow Registry and helped find 10 life-saving marrow matches for patients in need.
There will be 12 youths named 2009 Huggable Heroes and honored at ceremonies to be held in St. Louis, Mo., in July at the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bearquarters. Each Huggable Hero will receive $10,000, with $7,000 in the form of an educational scholarship and $2,500 from the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation to be donated to the 501(c)(3) charity of the winner’s choice.
