Children from Waukegan, and as far away as Chicago, used words like “cool,” “love,” “huge,” “pretty,” and “amazing” to describe Xonita, the world’s largest teddy bear, measuring 63 feet from head to paw and weighing four tons.
Parents matched their offspring’s enthusiasm.
“I love it,” third-grader Sophia Blaszczyk of Chicago said. “I have my own,” she added, hugging a children’s version of Xonita. It is 17 inches long and weighs less than a pound.
“It’s huge,” said Sophia’s mother Agatha. “It’s in the Guinness Book of World Records. We had to see it.”
“It’s cool,” said Silas Cornelius, a fourth grader at Andrew Cooke Magnet Elementary School in Waukegan. “It’s so big.”
“It’s simply magnificent,” added Silas’ mother, Crystal. “We had to come here and see it.”
“I’ve never seen such a big teddy bear,” Sophia Salinas, a fifth grader from Waukegan, said.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” added Sophia’s mother, Yasminda. “This is the world’s biggest bear, and it comes from Mexico,” she added, referring to the country of her parents’ birth.
The Blaszczyk, Cornelius and Salinas families were among approximately 10,000 people who saw Xonita Saturday and Sunday at the Waukegan Municipal Beach, excited to get a look, take pictures, and, in some cases, buy their own smaller versions of the bear.
Older children in the Salinas family were no less enthusiastic about Xonita.
Natalie, a Waukegan High School junior, was both proud that the bear came from Mexico and taken aback by its size. Her middle-school sister Nicole also liked the family outing.
“It’s fantastic,” she said. “It’s amazing to see.”
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham let his imagination take control as he wondered what a bear like Xonita could do for the Chicago Bears. He said in an email Monday that he may not move fast, but the opposition might have a hard time getting past her.
“If Xonita were to suit up for the offensive line, the quarterback would easily be the safest person in the league, and her presence would certainly give a whole new, literal meaning to the ‘Monsters of the Midway,’” he wrote.
Recognized as the world’s largest teddy bear by “Guinness World Records” in 2019, Xonita weighs 8,000 pounds and is 63 feet long. Before arriving in Waukegan, Juan Dotor, director of immigration affairs for the Mexican State of Mexico, said it made a stop in Round Lake.
Dotor said Xonita was made by a collaboration of artisans in workshops in Xonacatlan, Mexico. Waukegan and Round Lake were chosen as places to display the bear because of the large Hispanic communities there.
“There are a lot of people here with families in Mexico,” he said. “Illinois has the second-most people from Mexico (in the U.S.) after California. Many of them are from Toluca,” he added, referring to the area around Xonacatlan.
Julio Cesar Zora operates a workshop where teddy bears are made. In his shop, he said eight people are making the plush animals. All are family members. Zora’s shop is part of an association of 12 manufacturers who make the bears.
Zora said they formed the association because they believe in collaboration, not competition. The teddy bears are exported around the world. They decided to make Xonita an ambassador for their craft. Some factories have between 30 and 50 workers. A few have as many as 150.
“We help bring each other together to have prosperity,” Zora said. “We benefit each other. We all decided to make the big bear together.”
Cunningham said the teddy bear’s visit is a demonstration of the city’s growth as a destination for both cultural events and family-friendly experiences. It also shows growing ties between Waukegan and Mexico.
“Big moments like this remind us that Waukegan is a place where every culture finds a home,” Cunningham said. “It serves as a beautiful reminder that our city is a place where traditions are not only welcomed but celebrated as an essential part of our local identity.”
Celeste Flores, a College of Lake County trustee and a Waukegan resident, is the daughter of Mexican immigrants who came to the U.S. from the region of Mexico where Xonita was made. She was impressed with the bear and proud of the culture it represented.
“It’s amazing,” Flores said. “This is part of our culture and why we celebrate. It makes me feel proud.”
State Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, came to see Xonita and purchased two of the smaller versions to take to Springfield this week. One is for state Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park.
Johnson said she intends to put something in the Senate record and wants Johnson to have his own bear when she does. She liked the sense of celebration and fun at the Waukegan beach on Saturday.
“It takes our mind off what is happening in our nation and gives people enjoyment,” Johnson said, referring in part to the federal immigration enforcement action Midway Blitz in the Waukegan area. “This teddy bear tour has the hope of warming people.”
