Sharon Merriweather

    Sharon Merriweather will deliver gifts to area nursing home residents Saturday in the spirit of Christmas, and her late sister, just as she has this time of year since 2006.

    “They look forward to it,” Merriweather said Thursday. “It’s not only exciting to me, it’s helping to keep my sister alive.”

    Her sister, Regina Marie Seals, was nicknamed Rose as a baby because of her rosy cheeks. Unable to walk or talk, Rose spent most of her life in a nursing home. She died Nov. 7, 2006 at the age of 54.

    After she passed away, Rose did speak to Merriweather however, in a dream. She asked that Sharon make sure all the residents in area nursing homes receive a gift for Christmas. Because Rose loved stuffed animals, especially teddy bears, that’s what Merriweather started collecting for gifts.

    “It’s a touching and emotional experience,” Merriweather said, of delivering the stuffed animals year after year. A tradition within the tradition begun in Rose’s honor is that the oldest resident at each location gets the largest stuffed animal.

    Two motorcycle groups helping Merriweather with the deliveries are the BoyznDollz MaknNoyz Motorcycle Club, and Speed Limit Riders. They will meet at Family Bowl Lanes, 3510 North Hills St., in Meridian Saturday morning with plans to head out to nursing home locations at 11 a.m.

    If anyone would like to drop off a stuffed animal, or volunteer to help deliver the gifts, they are welcome, said Merriweather, who is owner of Spitfire Office Supply, 823 22nd Ave., in Meridian. She said she has more than 700 stuffed animals for this year’s deliveries. A lot of her time lately has been spent sorting the gifts for male and female residents.

    Merriweather said she’ll keep the Christmas tradition going, “as long as we can keep making people happy,” with the stuffed animals.

    “They give them names, and hold them like little babies,” Merriweather said. She also said that’s what Rose wanted.