In their annual Teddy Bear Toss, the Hershey Bears inserted their name into history with 34,798 teddy bears being tossed.
It has become a tradition for minor league hockey teams (and even some junior teams) to have a “Teddy Bear Toss”. Fans toss teddy bears and other stuffed animals onto the ice, usually after the home team scores its first goal. Every year, the Hershey Bears seem to have the most fun doing so.
On Sunday, Dec. 2, their passionate fanbase took things to a new level by setting a world record. Overall, 34,798 teddy bears and other stuffed animals were tossed after Riley Barber scored a power-play goal in the first period. The previous record of 28,315 was held by the Calgary Hitmen and was set back in 2015.
There is simply nothing like it #TeddyBearTossHershey #BearsCares #HBH #DefendTheDen pic.twitter.com/Jgsi2Bw2Mp
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) December 2, 2018
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The Teddy Bear Toss unofficially got its start back in 1993. Since then, it has spread to most of the AHL and junior leagues. The NHL, however, does not participate in it because the league doesn’t let fans throw things on the ice.
What happens to all those stuffed animals? They are donated to local charities, most notably children’s hospitals. It’s great to see players get excited about being the guy who gets the animals flying.
The Bears shattered their previous personal record of 25,017 set in 2017. Even the players got involved, as Nathan Walker brought his own huge bear to the game and tossed it onto the ice.
Hershey has one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. And why wouldn’t they be? The Bears have been one of the most successful AHL teams of all-time. It’s great to see their fans get so excited about helping others and see the players get equally excited as well. Every year, the Bears have the most exciting Teddy Bear Toss. It was only a matter of time before they broke the world record.
Additionally, CommunityAid is donating $15,000 ($0.50 per animal up to $15,000) to local charities.