Chil-e Bear joins animal scramble

One Step Tree and Lawn Care's "Chil-e Bear," one of hundreds of animals to be auctioned this fall for charity as part of the Animal Scramble, is lumbering his way toward the company's headquarters on Buffalo Road in North Chili. The polar bear, named for the way visitors mispronounce the town's name, is expected to arrive the first week of May.

For the past four months, Chil-e Bear has been painstakingly designed, molded, painted and preserved by Churchville-Chili High School art teacher Colleen L'Hommedieu and her advanced art students. He sports a brightly colored quilt depicting scenes and buildings in Chili. The 9 ft. long, 5 ft. tall fiberglass carnivore on all fours also wears a jaunty hat of green and yellow.

"The project was a tremendous learning experience for our class," L'Hommedieu said. "We were pleased that we could participate in such a worthwhile charitable project."

Chil-e Bear was recently released by his creators to a staging area in Rochester where all the Animal Scramble creatures are being photographed for a commemorative book. The polar bear and his furry and feathery friends will also be the featured guests at a preview gala this spring, where One Step and other sponsors get the first peek at them.

Chil-e Bear will be on display at One Step from early May until October. Then the animals will be reassembled for the auction. The proceeds will benefit six area charities.

"We wanted to sponsor an animal to show our gratitude to the Chili community," explained Bob Ottley, One Step owner. "We've been very fortunate to have the support of this community during our 27 years here."