Chief Ted E. Bear represents the commitment to also supporting their loved ones, especially kids. The National EMS Weekend of Honor is held every year in the Washington, D.C. area to honor and recognize the EMS and air medical providers who have died in the line of duty serving others. Currently there is no permanent memorial so the National EMS Memorial Service created a temporary memorial called
the Tree of Life until a permanent memorial can be built. Many in the public and in EMS are unaware of the Weekend of Honor and of its mission. Most have never seen the National EMS Memorial Service, the Tree of Life or ridden in the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride but aspire to. This is why the Moving Honors procession was created with the goal to bring awareness and additional recognition to the honorees while providing broader access to the Tree of Life, allowing anyone to pay respects forward to the honoree families and EMS colleagues waiting at the other end of its journey. The Moving Honors will travel almost 2000 miles on its way to Arlington, VA to kick off the Weekend of Honor, making various stops along the way. Bear is an offshoot of the Teddy Bear project was started by a couple of the NEMSMS volunteers to help to support and bring comfort to the children of the honorees. Bear's role is to allow the children and loved ones to connect to the Weekend of Honor in a less formal, more natural way. He is traveling with the Moving Honors team and meets EMS providers, families and the public along the way to also help raise awareness of the Weekend of Honor and the honorees who will be recognized.
