Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 6, 1995 TAG: 9505080036
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ADRIANNE BEE CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Long
``When is he going to come?''
``He's coming in a limousine!''
``I've never seen one of those, what do they look like?''
``They look cool.''
Perhaps not the conversation one would overhear among the paparazzi on Oscar night, but exciting just the same. This is a different kind of celebrity. He has no bodyguards. He hasn't been known to give autographs (if he did, it would be just a paw print). He's small of stature (not even a foot high) and doesn't say much.
It's easy to forget while you wait with the children of Belview that the celebrity is not even real. He's a stuffed animal named Tommy Bear; but real bear or not, he has traveled more than most people who walk and talk.
The children scream as a red minivan drives up with Tommy hanging out the window (the limo fell through). He is sitting in Cindy Clemens' lap; she waves his paw to the students, who wave back. The traveling teddy project was her brainchild to help teach her second-graders about geography and other cultures.
The children are holding a banner that reads, ''Welcome Back Tommy Bear.'' They have all brought their own teddy bears from home to greet him. There is a sea of stuffed animals, from Winnie the Pooh to Teddy Ruxpin.
Clemens steps out of the van and escorts Tommy to the reception line. Everyone from kindergartners to sixth-graders wants a chance to hug Tommy and welcome him home. One small girl with dark hair and glasses leans in and admits, ``I'm glad he finally got here; my feet are killing me.''
Tommy has a ticket to London strapped to him in a British Airways tote bag. Name: Tommy Bear; Sex: Male; Age: Unknown; Multilingual.
``That means he can speak all kinds of languages,'' Clemens explains to a kindergartner. Teddy has to; he has been to France and Mexico.
Another kindergartner disappointedly exclaims, ``But he ain't real!'' Clemens explains it's like he's real if you just use your imagination. The little girl smiles.
One crafty sixth-grader tries to get the ticket to London for himself and asks, ``Did Tommy have to go through the metal detector?''
Clemens says, ``Yes, he's just like any other traveler.'' Except for being small, furry and full of stuffing.
Cheri Lawrence, a USAir flight attendant and Clemens' cousin, also accompanied Tommy back to Belview. She tells the children that Tommy jumped up and down on the hotel bed all night. ``He was just so excited to be coming home,'' she explains. Lawrence's sister, Tricia, took Tommy on his first flight.
Soon the crowd disperses and the children go back into Belview. Tommy goes with Clemens to visit with the second-graders who sent him on his travels. In Ann Talton's class, where Clemens is a student teacher, the children squirm in excitement as Clemens opens Tommy's backpack.
``I think he brought back things for his classmates to keep,'' Clemens exclaims.
``Yaaah!'' the second-graders cheer.
One boy: ``Yes, Yes, Yes!''
Out come Tommy's treasures, one by one. Each from a different corner of the world.
First playing cards: ``Apparently he beat an entire crew playing Go Fish,'' Clemens tells them. The children laugh.
Tommy's backpack reveals he has been to Los Angeles, Lynchburg and Disneyland recently. The children get a little envious when they hear he got to meet Mickey Mouse.
Lawrence, donning her USAir suit and tie, explains Tommy went to the beach with her where she lives in Miami. She passes around some sand and seashells for everyone to examine. ``We let him rest first, gave him some food before we went to the beach. I think he had a little jet lag,'' Lawrence says.
Tommy went to London and France, but he also had some down-to-earth experiences. He went to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese with one little boy and even went to the dentist with someone.
He also brought back a small Coke can from England.
Tommy even saw "Forrest Gump" (twice) according to his journal (those who traveled with Tommy wrote about what he did).
Clemens shows the children coins Tommy brought back from different countries. ``What do our coins have on them?'' Clemens asks.
``Presidents.''
``George Washington.''
``Nixon.''
One flaxen-haired girl missing her two front teeth jumps up and announces that she has brought a welcome-home gift for Tommy. She presents him with a Slinky.
Clemens holds Tommy to her ear. ``He's decided he wants to give each one of you a surprise if you go back to your seats,'' she says. The children rush back to their desks.
Tommy and Clemens hand out USAir wings and hand puppets to everyone. In the coming days, the children will read all of Tommy's journal entries, add up his air miles and chart all the places he went on a map.
As you walk out of Belview after meeting Tommy and his second-grade friends, you think of the story of The Velveteen Rabbit.
``Real isn't how you are made,'' said the Skin Horse. ``It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a really long time, not just to play with but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.''
by CNB