Hitmen ready for Sunday Teddy Bear Toss
Calling all teddy bear tossers: the Calgary Hitmen and ENMAX want you.
That's because the team's popular annual Teddy Bear Toss game is this Sunday at the Saddledome, at 2 p.m., when the Hitmen take on the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The new and/or gently-used bears collected by the team are donated to more than 65 local agencies, including Alberta Children's Hospital, the Calgary Food Bank and Siksika Nation.
How many bears do the Hitmen hope to collect?
A lot.
"As an organization, we make it our goal every year to meet the request for bears, which is currently at 26,000. We are calling on the community and hockey fans to come together to help us in our mission," said Hitmen business operations assistant manager Amy Bontorin. "This year’s goal is aggressive, but we know the people of Calgary and surrounding area will help us achieve it."
"It’s always so heartwarming to witness the generosity of Calgarians as we watch thousands of teddy bears rain down on the ice," said ENMAX brand, communications and community director Kara Kingston, in a release.
ENMAX is partnering with the Hitmen.
"At ENMAX, we believe in the power of community and giving back. We know the need is great and we want to thank all our ENMAX volunteers, the Calgary Hitmen and generous Calgarians who are making a difference in the lives of children," Kingston said.
Once the bears are collected off the ice, they will be stored courtesy of the Two Small Men with Big Hearts Moving Company, which is lending the Hitmen two large trucks to store the bears. The Hitmen return to the Saddledome Monday morning from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., when organizations come to collect their bears.
The team will also deliver bears to different organizations throughout the afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.