FREMONT — The One Bear Project is holding its yearly stuffed animal drive this weekend, but organizer Karen Kadaja collects furry faux creatures all year long.

"People will contact me, 'Hey, Karen, I cleaned out a closet'," the Fremont resident said.

Donors can drop off new and used stuffed toys from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Faultline Harley-Davidson/Buell motorcycle dealership, 41315 Albrae St., just south of Interstate 880, near the Stevenson Boulevard exit.

In addition, Kiwanis Club of Fremont will provide free fingerprinting of children, and local businesses such as Pizza Patio will provide complimentary snacks.

East Bay rock band The Diehards will perform, and other family-friendly entertainment such as country dancing is planned.

This year's beneficiary is the Child Abuse Listening, Interviewing and Coordination (CALICO) Center in San Leandro, which interviews young abuse sufferers for court testimony and protects them from having to relive traumatic events.

Last year the One Bear Project collected more than 1,200 stuffed toys for the Hope Flight Foundation of Hayward, a nonprofit that plans to fly needy children to medical appointments.

No cash is accepted at the events.

"I'm one of these people that stresses no money," Kadaja said. "We don't solicit it, we don't accept it. Just teddy bears and stuffed animals. We call it 'teddies and friends.'"‰"

The biker community has responded

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positively to the One Bear Project effort, said Jill Ellwanger, a Fremont native who does administrative work for the Harley dealership.

"We have a lot of riders with children," she said "I think it's actually a good mix and a good tie-in."

Donations also can be made at Heritage Bank of Commerce, 3077 Stevenson Blvd.

People planning to bring big batches of toys should contact Kadaja ahead of time at onebearproject@aol.com.

Reach Todd R. Brown at 510-353-7004 or todd.brown@bayareanewsgroup.com. Visit our blog at www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat.