by Pam Swan
With arms full of teddy bears, 75 Bridgelanders and friends headed to the Calgary Hitmen game on Sunday, December 7, for the annual Teddy Bear Toss.
The Teddy Bear Toss is a beloved Calgary tradition: fans throw stuffed toys onto the ice after the Hitmen score their first goal, and the toys are then collected and distributed to children at the Calgary Children’s Hospital and other local children’s charities. This year marked the event’s 30th anniversary, and more than 500,000 bears have been donated since it began—including an incredible 26,828 from Sunday’s game alone.
Fans were on the edge of their seats as they waited for the big moment. Last year’s teddy-bear goal came just 90 seconds into the game, but this year the anticipation stretched right to the end—finally arriving with only seven minutes left in the third period. It was an exciting matchup against the Wenatchee Wild: despite Calgary nearly doubling their shots on goal, the visiting team ultimately came out ahead with a 3–2 victory.
Many thanks to everyone who attended, and a huge thanks to our neighbourhood’s Ron Shivji for organizing another fun community event.
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