Meet Chuck ‘Teddy Bear’ Challender, Virginia Cub 2025
As we continue on with introducing you to the Virginia Bear 2025 title family, we are proud to introduce you to Chuck “Teddy Bear” Challender otherwise known by his stage name Teddy Bear Chuck, the new Virginia Cub for 2025.
BWM: Tell us a bit about your background?
Chuck: I am a retired chef. I have loved cooking all my life. I love making people happy with food. I grew up in Norfolk Virginia, and I currently live in Currituck, North Carolina.
BWM: What drew you to the bear community?
Chuck: Coming from the era, that I grew up in, there wasn’t very many opportunities that I knew of to join groups or clubs to find out who I was. It wasn’t till several years ago when I met someone that introduced me to a community here in Norfolk and Hampton Roads that was accepting, welcoming, and, a joyful place to be. I had never felt so accepted and appreciated for who I was, and I had finally begun to embrace who I was as a bear. And with that powerful knowledge, I have taken the ball and begun to run with it. I will do all I can for charity, help promote the bear scene and culture, and help anyone else who has body positivity issues, to realize you’re beautiful no matter what your size and that also, it’s what you have in your heart.
BWM: Tell us about your local bear scene and some of your favorite places or organizations whose events you enjoy.
Chuck: I think our local bear scene is great, as a part of the Virginia bears we have a night where we run an event the third Saturday of every month at a local place called MJ’s Tavern. We usually have themed events, where we get great turnout and great participation, and with Christmas coming up we have ‘Slutty Claus’ coming next month. I’ll let you imagine the rest. We have fun, and we raise money for the LBGT Life center. They do great work and help a lot of people, and that’s something I am proud of.
BWM: Tell us about your platform. Was there an issue you campaigned on or addressed during the competition?
Chuck: My platform has always been mental health and wellness for the whole community at large. Our country’s mental health system is severely lacking and us as gay people have had an even harder time than the norm. That’s all changing now. There are lots of places to help people in need, including the LBGT Life Center, but we need more. We also need to be there for our friends and check on them – now more than ever with everything that’s going on in our own country,
BWM: How do you define what a bear is nowadays? And cubs?
Chuck: Well, being what is more considered a traditional bear myself, I think that everyone has the right to determine that for themselves. If you want to identify as a cub or a bear or Mama Bear more power to you, and honestly bears are more than just shape or size or color, bears have an funny attitude, a demeanor, raunchiness, and cuteness and are probably some of the biggest hearted people in the world.
BWM: What are your plans for your title year?
Chuck: This upcoming summer I would like to have an all-community car wash with bears, puppies, leather guys, and drag queens, and put on a show for charity. Watching the show while your car is washed, is one of the things I’ve suggested we do.
BWM: Tell us one thing you love about the bear community and one thing that you’d like to see improved upon.
Chuck: Every bear that I have met has been one of the most outstandingly nice individuals I’ve ever met in my entire life. And, having been in a couple of contests, in the last few years, I’ve met some great bears from out of state – world bears and cubs title holders.
BWM: Anything else you’d like to mention?
Chuck: I’m proud to be a bear and be in this community, so I can give back to the people that I love. And also that I found a great family of friends here.
Be sure to follow Chuck ‘Teddy Bear’ Callender on Facebook and Instagram.
