Meet Bearsun, the unlikely athlete raising spirits and funds for charity.
This charismatic teddy, who goes by the name Bearsun, has embarked on a brave walk from Los Angeles to San Francisco with nothing but the bare necessities. Now, after two weeks of trekking along the coast of California, the Bay Area is finally about to have a different kind of bear in town. The man dressed in a big teddy suit is nearing his final destination and has received nothing but warm greetings from all of his fans.
According to his GoFundMe page which he set up before the endeavor and has already raised over $11,000, all of the donations received will go to charity. He’s taking suggestions on which charity to give it to and may hold an online vote at the end of his trip.
Along the way, his alarming presence has resulted in numerous encounters with law enforcement. Mostly with police and traffic officers responding to reports of a “bear on the roadway.” Luckily, they’ve done nothing but bid him well on his wild endeavor and offered to give him a ride—which, of course, he refused.
In San Jose, he was welcomed with a couch to rest on, with an encouraging note and managed to dodge a fine when his awkward hobbling broke the speed limit—which you can watch in the entertaining video above.
While taking a much-needed rest in the middle of a sidewalk, he provided further use as an object to ollie over for local skaters.
Jesse Larios, the 33-year-old illustrator behind the idea, didn’t set out with a particular aim other than to bring people joy. While it may seem crazy to most, Larios did this on a whim with almost no planning. He gets food and cleans up at gas stations then sleeps in his suit, wherever he happens to find himself. When he isn’t entertaining his fans on Instagram with updates, he’s wandering the road alone with his thoughts.
But this isn’t his first rodeo. He created the bobblehead character with two perfectly rosy cheeks back in 2016, taking inspiration from his dog, Bear. Later, the illustration took on the form of a padded suit and he completed the Los Angeles Marathon. Fueled by the positive response and community support, he made it to the finish line. Now, it seems like he has pushed that line a little further.
“This is what I want to do. I just want to run marathons in my bear suit,” he said. “It makes other people happy too, and I’m all about laughter and smiles,” Larios said, according to an interview with CNN.
If you’re inspired and want to support him you can browse his website for merch here.
He is expected to arrive in San Francisco on Friday after camping on the streets every day since April 12. You can track his progress on Instagram here.
Featured Image: @iambearsun