How a family fun run became a year-on-year growth story.
Every May, something slightly magical happens at Rundle Park in Edmonton, Alberta. Families pull on their trainers, strap kids into strollers, and head out for a 5 km fun run, walk or roll in support of the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation. Teddy bears go to the top fundraisers, and the Dairy Queen vouchers flow.
It's the Teddy Bear Fun Fest.
The 2026 edition brought together 1.5k+ participants and raised 38% over an ambitious target, the biggest result the event has ever had.
The Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation runs one of Canada's leading children's health charities, supporting world class care for kids across Alberta and beyond. Teddy Bear Fun Fest is their flagship peer to peer event, and here are a few things we love about it.
The ticker that makes you feel like you are a part of something
Open the homepage and the first thing you see is a community building in real time: real names and real profile links, popping up every few seconds.
A ladder with a rung for every fundraiser
Instead of building incentives just for top fundraisers, Teddy Bear Fun Fest builds a ladder with six rungs, and the first one sits at $20.
A Dairy Queen Blizzard at $20, limited edition teddy bear at $75, gift certificate at $350. And for every $200 raised at any level, an entry into the Homes by Avi playhouse draw.
There is always a reason to chase the next donation, whether you are a first year fundraiser at $15 or a committed multi-year entrant at $750.
The cubs have their own race
The Cub Challenge gives junior participants their own fundraising track. Every $15 raised earns a Nintendo Switch draw entry.
The children have their own goal, separate from their parents', and suddenly everyone has a reason to get fundraising.
They're teaching the next generation how fundraising works, and they get to feel the reward of it for themselves.
The voice that never breaks character
The fundraising tips page is a five-step guide. Step five is 'Cele-BEAR-ate.' The copy warns fundraisers not to worry if supporters 'get GRIZZLY'—because 'it takes three to seven reminders for the average bear.'
Their personality runs through every touchpoint, from the homepage to the FAQ to the nine pre-sized social graphics you can download and post in under a minute.
It makes it feel fun, personal, and different to every other event on the calendar.
The takeaway
Teddy Bear Fun Fest has nearly doubled its participant base in four years and more than doubled its total revenue, all while keeping the warmth that makes it special. Every participant, every child, and every first-time fundraiser gets an experience built with them in mind.
They have built for activation. The live registration ticker keeps the community visible, the incentive ladder keeps motivation going at every giving level, the Cub Challenge brings the next generation in as active fundraisers.
Warmth and growth are not in tension. A community that feels genuinely celebrated will keep coming back, and keep bringing people with them.
Want to dive deeper?
We unpacked the full Teddy Bear Fun Fest campaign—how it works, what makes it tick, and how the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation built something that engages fundraisers one-on-one, even the littlest members of the family.
