Daily Illini (March 31) – Initiated by the University of Illinois Veterinary Student Outreach program, the Teddy Bear Hospital has been a long, annual tradition that started to gain popularity over the years. “The goal is just to teach simple concepts about veterinary medicine, and animal care to some of the kids around the local community in Champaign and surrounding areas,” said Alec Sanchez, a second-year student in Veterinary Medicine and the president of the VSOP.