This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Teddy Bear Toss and it’s become one of the greatest traditions in sports over the years.
The Kamloops Blazers hosted the very first Teddy Bear Toss back in 1993 and the tradition has managed to grow right across the country and even past the border into the United States. Over the years, hockey fans across North America have done their best to top their donations from the previous season and this year the Hershey Bears fans went above and beyond as they smashed their total from last season.
Every single stuffed animal that gets tossed onto the ice during the game gets donated to local charities and to also get handed out to young patients at local hospitals.
This year, the Bears fans did not disappoint as they set a new world record by tossing a combined 34,798 stuffed animals onto the ice following the team’s opening goal.
To watch something go from a one-day event to an annual tradition that has been picked up across the nation is absolutely incredible, and it’s even more incredible that hundreds of thousands of kids get a present during the holidays all thanks to it.
