For Immediate Release Friday, November 19, 2004

The Bivona Child Advocacy Center (BCAC) has received a shipment of 800 soft, cuddly “Jennie Bears” – named after the late Jennifer Koon – to give to the physically and sexually abused children seen at the center.

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BCAC, which opened last July, was created to coordinate services and provide support for children who are the victims of sexual or physical abuse and their families at a single, safe, childfriendly facility. Located at the BCAC are Child Protective Services case workers, detectives from the Rochester Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, as well as a victim advocate from Rape Crisis Center and medical staff from Strong Memorial Hospital.

Contributors can buy a Jennie Bear which will be available for use by children at the center or will be given to a child to take home. The bears are also available for purchase at $25 each for holiday gift-giving.

“We hope that these Jennie bears can bring comfort to the children we care for here at the center,” said center director Mary Whittier. “We also hope that the Koon family is comforted by the thought that Jennifer’s memory is being honored in a way that will directly bring happiness to children.”

The Jennie Bear project was initiated by Jennifer’s parents, Assemblyman David Koon and his wife Suzanne, who helped raise money to buy the bears, which have the word “Jennie” embroidered on one foot and “BCAC.”

Jennifer Koon, an 18-year-old St. John Fisher College student, was abducted from Pittsford Plaza, raped and murdered in 1993. Her body was discovered in an alley off Clifford Ave. in the city.

To buy a Jennie Bear, call the center at (585) 935-7800, or order on-line at www.bivonacac.org.

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