It was bedtime one evening in fall 2015.

 

I went to tuck Evan into bed and found him distraught about a book he had been reading about endangered animals. “People are killing Giant Pandas,” he sobbed. “I don’t like it.”

 

I told him the best way to feel better about the pandas was to help. We decided to do a summer fundraising project to help save Giant Pandas. We start a Boy and a Bear to show that one child’s heart for animals could make a difference.

 

Giant Pandas face many threats, including poaching and habitat destruction that separates them from their source of food. Panda populations are declining, with fewer than 2,000 left in the wild.

 

In the Buddhist story The Brave Little Parrot, a kind bird tries to save his animal friends from a forest fire by wetting his wings and dripping water onto the flames from overhead. Moved by his determination, an eagle cries a great river of tears that extinguish the flames.

 

This story shows us how a small but compassionate soul can make a difference in the world. Help us make a Boy and a Bear a success so we can teach all children that it is not enough to simply read about something sad and have our hearts broken. We must be people of action. Wet your wings with us, and help us put out the flames!

 

Anna Chang-Yen