Mascot Created by Greece Teacher Reaches Kids All Over
Rev the dog provides comfort to those in need — it has reached people in 35 states so far
By Robin L. Flanigan
During her last five years as a physical education teacher in the Greece Central School District, Wendy Cooper developed an innovative program called Healthy Highway. It used creative traffic metaphors to help children learn to eat well and exercise regularly.
That program has morphed into something Cooper, now 74 and retired, never imagined.
The Greece resident, continuing her focus on children, now runs a nonprofit that donates a stuffed dog named Rev — what she calls a “cuddle buddy” — as a source of comfort to those in need.
Rev has gone to preschoolers in California who lost their homes to wildfires, for example, and to students at a Florida school devastated by a hurricane.
More than 1,900 Revs have been handed out so far in 35 states, including Hawaii and Alaska.
Cooper talks with 55 Plus about the meaning behind the mascot, witnessing its impact on young ones and why she doesn’t hesitate anymore when an idea strikes.
Q: Do you remember your thoughts as you started seeing the Healthy Highway curriculum spread throughout the school?
A: I thoroughly enjoyed watching the children embrace and incorporate traffic concepts into their vocabulary. I did not see that coming. We started hearing kids talking about green-light choices. When students went to the nurse for annual eye exams, they were “checking their headlights.” When kids didn’t feel well, they talked about what kind of fuel they’d had that day. When I started traveling to other school districts and presenting at conferences, I could truly look at people directly and say, “This works.”
Q: Talk about your largest donation so far.
A: Three hundred Revs were given in early June to every camper at Camp Good Days & Special Times — a camp for children impacted by cancer or sickle cell anemia — in Mendon. It was the largest donation made so far. We put a piece of cardstock in a drawstring bag that says “My Adventures with Rev” so kids can write a story about what they enjoyed about their time with him.
Q: And you had another important donation days later.
A: Yes. It was a delivery to Camp Heartstrings, which helps children who’ve lost a family member. I’m not out there pounding the pavement to find places for Rev to go. These opportunities keep coming right to my doorstep.
Q: Why is Rev a dog?
A: A good friend of mine was talking to me about my program and said there should be a mascot — and that children love dogs. I asked my college roommate, who was a graphic designer, to sketch out some ideas. She was not having an easy time until one morning, when Rev appeared [to her] when she woke up. Rev stands for “rev your engines.”
Q: How does it feel to see a child hug Rev?
A: It truly touches my heart. To know that a child has something to call their own and that it will always be there for them, means so much. And after a delivery of cuddle buddies to the cardiac unit at Golisano Children’s Hospital, a nurse told me that they were perfect for the children to hug while practicing their coughing and breathing exercises.
Q: Rev has been a part of the lives of older adults as well, right?
A: A friend of mine texted me one day with a picture of Rev at a nursing home where she was visiting a friend of hers. And I have two neighbors over the age of 90 who each have their own cuddle buddy. One told me, “Rev is the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing at night. He makes my day.” The other one told me, “I talk to Rev every day and he sleeps with me.”
Q: Will you share the experience you had recently at a yoga studio?
A: I attended a yoga class with a dad and his two sons. I brought two cuddle buddies to help bring some peace to the boys because they’d lost their mom. We were doing a relaxation breathing exercise where Rev was laying on top of the dad and one of the boys. As the dad repeated to breathe in and raise Rev up in the air, then exhale slowly, I could see the stress release from the dad’s body. It brought me to tears.
Q: What are Rev reps?
A: They’re friends of mine that have taken a couple cuddle buddies with them on trips. They deliver them to fire departments, hospitals or other organizations they find in the place they’re visiting. Anybody can reach out if they’re planning a trip and want to make a special delivery.
Q: Will you share one of your more surprising moments with Rev?
A: This is what I call my full circle story. I met a family whose son went through heart surgery after he was born. While the little boy was healing, the family stayed at Ronald McDonald House, which had received Rev cuddle buddies. One was given to the little boy’s sister for comfort and companionship during this difficult time.
That family attended one of my fundraisers and the father came up to me to thank me. We both ended up hugging. I don’t often learn where Rev will land, so this was a very meaningful connection for me. It confirmed our mission was working.
Q: Please describe the national recognition you received in 2020.
A: It was from the National Association of County and City Health Officials for a groundbreaking initiative with Oswego County. In collaboration with the Oswego County Health Department and local hospital, I implemented Healthy Highway in 24 elementary schools, earning NACCHO’s Promising Practice Award for programs that demonstrate innovation and replicability in public health. I also won a Greece Chamber Health Award in March 2026.
Q: Future goals?
A: Two goals for this year are to deliver 2,000 cuddle buddies and be in all 50 states. The long-term goal is to reach as many children as we can.
Q: How do you spend your time outside of the nonprofit work?
A: On my days off, you’ll see me on the pickleball court, on my bike or watching a beautiful sunset.
Q: What have you learned over these past few years with Rev?
A: I don’t hesitate anymore. If I see a situation that feels like Rev needs to travel to a particular place, I take action. So often we read or see something that we think we connect with and then don’t do anything about it. Now I always take the step, I always get a response and I don’t have anybody say no.
I’m so very glad to be having this experience — and I never saw it coming.
Q: Is this what you thought you’d be doing in retirement?
A: Due to the success of watching children embrace the Healthy Highway concepts, I knew I wanted to share it with others. I was fortunate enough to do that for many years and even wrote a book designed as an “owner’s manual” for parents on how to talk about healthy choices. Rev had some wisdom to share in that book, tied into common commands for dogs, such as “Sit” with friends and “Roll over” with laughter. Expanding my mission to providing comfort for children happened organically. I see this “road trip” continuing for a long time. Rev is my legacy.