By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – On Aug. 25, as most in the parish were rushing about, collecting supplies for the now infamous Hurricane Isaac, Debbie Tamplain, an independent Avon sales representative, was stationed outside Wal-Mart with one goal — to help the families of the deputies who had been wounded and slain by gunmen less than 10 days prior.

Tamplain’s plan was to sell Avon’s teddy bears for $20, with proceeds going to the families of the deputies and the bears themselves being donated to child victims of disasters. The sale went on as planned, but the approaching storm dimmed support that had been so rampant in the days leading up to the event.

Although she did not reach her goal of selling 1,000 bears, Tamplain did mange to sell 94 of them — and raise more than $4,000 in the process.

Tamplain said this week she deposited the money into the funds set up for the families of the officers and delivered the bears to the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John Fire Department and Acadian Ambulance. The individual agencies will distribute the bears to children as situations merit.

Tamplain noted the Sheriff’s Office received nine more bears than the other agencies, and these bears are intended for the children of Deputies Jeremy Triche, Brandon Nielsen, Jason Triche and Michael Boyington.

Anyone interested in holding a similar fundraiser can contact Tamplain at 985-651-4751.