Samuel de Champlain, aka a special edition Vermont Teddy Bear, is visiting the Champlain Islands this summer and fall, making friends and showing off his 17th century attire complete with feathered hat and leather boots, and he sports a goatee.

His appearance in 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of his first visit to Lake Champlain, a lake he liked so much he named it after himself!  In this Quadricentennial year Sam hopes to visit all the towns in the Champlain Islands.  He may make a couple of forays into the Burlington area.

Sponsored by the Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce, Sam is keeping a busy schedule, with appearances at weekend festivals and events celebrating the Quadricentennial, and resting in between at shops and attractions. 

His future, however, is uncertain; he will be raffled off to a lucky winner at the Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce’s Oktoberfest celebration at Apple Island resort on October 10th, right in the middle of AppleFest in South Hero. 

Sam will soon be tweeting his whereabouts on LCIChamberVT.  In the meantime, following are a few of his ports of call:

• July 24- 26, Champlain Islands Arts Organization art show, Grand Isle School
• August 6-7, Hero’s Welcome General Store, North Hero
• August 5, 8-9, Islands Craft Shop at Hero’s Welcome, North Hero
• October 10, Chamber Oktoberfest at Apple Island Resort

For more information, call the Chamber at (800) 262-5226 or 802-372-8400, or go to www.champlainislands.com to purchase raffle tickets.

NOTE:Samuel was specially designed and donated by the VT Teddy Bear Company.  He is not for sale anywhere.