JEFFERSONVILLE, IN (WAVE) – Some southern Indiana parents may be far away, but they’re still getting hugs from their kids.

The Clark County Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program on Monday gave seven kids with parents in the National Guard from Clark, Floyd, Harrison and Washington counties “hug a hero” dolls.

Each of the kids has a mother or father who deployed about a month ago, headed to Fort Bliss, Texas before continuing on to a mission in Afghanistan.

The dolls help kids like Heyleigh Reep cope with the distance.

“Oh, I think it’s awesome because it gives them a chance to have something to hold on to, to keep their parents in mind all the time, something they can hold on to, something tangible,” said Heyleigh’s caregiver, Dianne Pridgen.

A $1000 donation from Idemitsu Lubricants America Corporation made it possible for the Red Cross to give the dolls to the kids.

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