Bears of Sheffield: Trail sculptures fetch £525k at hospital charity auction

19 October 2021

News image — Pete McKee's Bear, named Thank you Sheffield Children's Hospital, fetched £30,000

Bears of Sheffield Bear Statue in front of a shopping centre — Pete McKee's Bear, named Thank you Sheffield Children's Hospital, fetched £30,000

Sixty colourful bear statues that were displayed around Sheffield as part of an art trail have raised more than £500,000 at a charity auction.

The two-metre high sculptures were sold off in aid of a new cancer ward at the city's children's hospital.

A bear designed by artist Pete McKee fetched the highest price, raising £30,000 on Monday night.

Organisers described the fundraiser event at the city's the Crucible Theatre as "unbearlievable".

Mr McKee thanked all the "incredibly wonderful people" who submitted bids for his colourful creation.

Bears of Sheffield People standing in front of bear statues at a charity auction — The two-metre high sculptures were sold off at a charity auction event in the Crucible Theatre

Following the auction, the artist tweeted: "Going to have a lovely kip tonight in my hospital bed. Thinking of the little 'uns in Sheff children's hospital tonight tucked up in bed too. Thank you to the incredibly wonderful people who bid on bears this evening and the amazing winning bid for my bear. I love you ❤️"

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A gold and silver-coloured bear named Steampunk Bear, designed by artist V J Patton, raised the second highest amount when it went for £22,000.

Bears of Sheffield Bear Statue in front of a cathedral — This bear, designed by artist V J Patton, fetched £22,000

Speaking at the event, John Armstrong, chief executive of the Children's Hospital Charity, said she was "delighted" the whole initiative had raised enough donations to "hit our £2.75m target".

The new cancer and leukaemia ward would be ready "by the end of this year", he added.

Rachael Thomas, the charity's events fundraising officer, said: "After the year we've had with Covid, we hoped we'd raise as much as the Herd of Sheffield [elephant trail], but to go beyond that and raise £525,000 has just been absolutely incredible and we cannot thank everyone enough in Sheffield for getting involved, we couldn't be more appreciative."