I had first come across a Build-A-Bear Workshop store in Rochester  and thought how cute it was and that I would love to someday work at a fun place like that if one ever opened in Buffalo. When I heard a store was coming to the Walden Galleria, I applied right away and got hired with the grand opening crew.

When Build-A-Bear Workshop first opened its doors at the Galleria, in the early 2000s, I was one of many new employees greeting guests for its grand opening. I even sang a tune that I had penned about the cute stuffed bears and dressing them in fun outfits. To this day, I can’t imagine myself standing in front of the store performing this short song; I do not have a great singing voice and I do not like to get up in front of an audience.

I was a “Master Bear Builder” and a “Party Leader” at Build-A-Bear. Even the titles sound fun. How can a job that lets kids of all ages go through the process of stuffing their own new furry friends, fluffing them up, brushing them, dressing them and then accessorizing them with fun items such as sunglasses or cowboy boots not make one’s day happier? The guests then had the opportunity to “name” their furry friend by making a certificate on a cute teddy bear-themed computer screen before taking home their new buddy in a cardboard box shaped like a house. Folks were even offered colorful ribbons for the stuffed animals’ ears that would coordinate with their outfits.

Part of my job at Build-A-Bear was to attach a long colorful ribbon to one of the furry stuffed friends, put it into some cool roller skates and skate it back and forth in front of the store to grab people’s attention as they walked past. I got to talk to a lot of people and I always saw a couple of folks I knew who just happened to be at the mall on that particular day.

At the stuffing machine, the bear-building guest was able to place a fabric heart inside of their bear or other stuffed animal and make a wish. Sounds were also available for purchase and even sayings like “I love you.” I believe you even had an option of recording your own personal message into an animal. I can’t remember exactly, as it has been a few years since I worked there.

I invented a newsletter for and about Build-A-Bear Workshop employees at the Galleria. I edited this monthly newsletter and filled it with fun news and items submitted from the employees, just to share information and entertainment. As a fan of writing, I loved this part of my job just as much as helping people build their bears.

My fun days at the Build-A-Bear Workshop came to an end all too soon; I was a newly married homeowner and needed a better-paying, full-time job, so I moved on from the colorful, lively atmosphere of the Build-A-Bear Workshop. I will always be grateful for the time I spent helping to bring smiles to young ones' faces as they were stuffing and dressing newfound furry friends. I even re-stuffed my panda bear “Pansy” who was from a Woolworth’s store in Orlando, Fla. I had washed her and then there was no stuffing left.

Pansy now has a fabric heart inside her, too, but she always knew she was loved – just like all Build-A-Bear friends do when they find their new homes.

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