Kansas City Area Healthcare Engineers hosted a plush toy team-building workshop in Overland Park, Kansas, on Oct. 29, 2026. 85 attendees took part during the group’s annual conference. The afternoon session was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kansas City – Overland Park. Vendors and clients worked side by side in six teams. Together, they built 84 plush bears for children at Children’s Mercy Kansas.
Kansas City Area Healthcare Engineers (KCAHE) is a regional association for professionals who run and maintain healthcare facilities. It is a local chapter of the American Society for Health Care Engineering. Its members represent hospitals and their environment of care staff from Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri.
Healthcare Engineers Build Bears for Hospital Kids Near Kansas City, Kansas
This was a first for KCAHE. The association chose to add a corporate social responsibility workshop to its annual conference. The goal was to bring vendors and clients together for networking and community service at the same time. Rescue Bear® fit that goal well. Brett Nelson led the session. Teams worked through hands-on challenges to earn the parts for each bear. Along the way, they built new relationships across the room.
The activity was a natural match for this crowd. Many of these attendees keep hospitals running every day. Here, they got to do something for the young patients inside those hospitals. The room radiated with energy as teams worked together. By the end, the group had assembled 84 plush bears. Each one was headed to a child currently being treated at Children’s Mercy Kansas.
Children’s Mercy Kansas received all 84 bears for its young patients. The hospital campus in Overland Park is part of Children’s Mercy, which has cared for children since 1897. We’d like to thank Malcolm Sparling and the KCAHE conference committee for including us. We’d also like to thank Wes Kraly and Children’s Mercy Kansas for the care they give children every day.
A charity workshop is a great way to connect vendors and clients at your next conference. Browse our team-building activities in Kansas City to get started.