Advocates for a children's hand-washing program used around the world are speaking about the importance of the campaign especially during the pandemic.

Bill Llewellyn and Pat Scharr, of Fairfield Rotary Club, adopted the American Red Cross program called 'Scrubby Bear' and introduced it to the Fairfield public school system over 10 years ago.

Llewellyn's daughter Cassie was in elementary school at the time, and was featured in a News 12 segment about the program 12 years ago.

Now 18, she says she has been thinking more lately about her elementary school days in the program.

"I just remember Scrubby Bear and just remembering to wash your hands," she says.

Cassie even went on to teach a Scrubby Bear class of her own when she was in middle school.

VIDEO: Eerily empty streets of Fairfield County during coronavirus pandemic

"Hopefully now with what's going on with this pandemic, it'll reinforce what kids learned early on in life," Bill says.

Scrubby Bear still visits Fairfield's kindergarteners and first and second graders to teach them proper hygiene and hand washing techniques.

The Llewellyns say they are planning to take a service trip to Uganda and say they'll bring Scrubby Bear with them.