Hitmen fans tossed over 25,000 stuffed animals to the ice of the Scotiabank Saddledome on the weekend during the 19th annual Petro-Canada Teddy Bear Toss.
The rain of stuffed toys came after Pavel Padakin scored in the second period against the Medicine Hat Tigers.
The Hitmen defeated the Tigers 4-1.
17,199 fans attended the event and 25,921 stuffed toys were collected for distribution to over 50 local agencies.
“Thank you to all the fans who came out and threw teddy bears on the ice at the 19th annual Petro-Canada Teddy Bear Toss. It was an exceptional display of the generosity of Calgarians,” said Don Clague, senior vice president, in-situ, Suncor Energy. “The teddy bears go a long way in spreading holiday cheer to the children and families who need it most this holiday season.”
“Every year this game has a huge presence in our community, but this year more than ever our fans supported us in our effort for more bears,” commented Mike Moore, Hitmen general manager and vice president, business operations. “Many children and families in Calgary and the surrounding area continue to feel the impact of the June flooding. The bears kindly donated today will make a difference to those in need this time of year.”
The stuffed toys were supposed to be distributed on Monday but due to the weather the delivery will be postponed until later in the week.
Over 239,000 teddy bears have been donated to local agencies including the Alberta Children’s Hospital, Boys and Girls Club of Calgary, YWCA, Red Cross, Salvation Army and Calgary Food Bank since 1999.
