Teddy Bear Toss — Bear Givers

You may have heard of the Teddy Bear Toss on TV and social media, or if you're an avid hockey fan you know all about the phenomenon. If you haven't heard: the teddy bear toss is a hockey tradition that began in 1993 where fans throw teddy bears and other stuffed animals onto the ice that will then be donated to local hospitals and organizations for children. To this day there is nothing like the frenzy of a crowd throwing hundreds, thousands, and now tens of thousands of teddy bears onto the ice in celebration of the first goal of their team. Seeing as we love teddy bears and understand the great yet simple impact they make on any child's life, we want to share the history and meaning of such a fun tradition!

The beginning:

The Teddy Bear Toss has been credited to the Kamloops’ marketing director, Don Larson, encouraging fans to throw teddy bears and other stuffed animals on the ice that would “then be distributed to local children to spread warmth and cheer during the holidays.” The first game with a teddy bear toss took place on December 5, 1993 in a game between the Blazers and the Portland Winterhawks. The first goal of the game was scored by Brad Lukowich, and another iconic player, Shane Doan, and 2400 teddy bears and stuffed animals were donated by fans! The game was an unprecedented success for Doane, and kicked off the tradition that would continue to encourage fans to toss teddy bears even 29 years later!

The aftermath:

The success of the first game in 1993 caused the toss to become a holiday staple for smaller games and local teams that followed suit and began hosting their own teddy bear tosses! However, because of the restricted attendance rules of 2020 many teams skipped out on the tradition, and were more than happy to reinstate it in late 2021 and early 2022!

Despite being successful, and a fun experience for everyone involved, the NHL has stated that they will not be allowing teddy bear tosses in their games, seeing as it can be dangerous for players on ice. Just because you won’t see the teddy bear toss in any official NHL games doesn't mean there has been a shortage of excitement for teddy bear tosses! Local teams and special charity games keep the tradition alive throughout the year as fans await tthe next major league hockey game where they can tos teddy bears by the thousands!

Record Breaking Games

Recently, the Hershey Bears’ game on January 22, 2022 broke the previous record of teddy bears tossed, bringing in 52,341 teddy bears and stuffed animals collected (previous record was 45,765, in 2019.) All these teddy bears will be donated to over 25 local charities of New Jersey, where we know they have the potential to change the lives of children everywhere. SInce the first teddy toss in 1993, the numbers of teddy bears donated has increased alongside the joy of the communities involved! Sports fans and giving communities everywhere are always welcome to the disability community, and of course our community of nonprofits! Anything to spread the word that giving back is a worthy and simpler task than you may think.

The Teddy Bear Toss has become more than just a fun event of a sports game - it has encouraged hundreds of people to feel the joy of giving, and we hope it continues to do so even outside of the games!

Share this article to spread the joy of giving back!