Photo: @TheHersheyBears
The AHL’s Hershey Bears hosted their Teddy Bear Toss game as they clashed with the Hartford Wolf Pack Saturday night. Fans were encouraged to throw teddy bears and other stuffed animals onto the ice following Hershey’s first goal of the game. Here are the scenes from Giant Center when left-winger Axel Jonsson-Fjallby scored and ensued the Teddy Bear Toss.
Jonsson-Fjallby netted his eleventh goal of the season at the 6:13 mark on a power-play. Cue the teddy bears.
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby with a nasty snipe and it’s raining teddy bears in Hershey, PA! #ALLCAPS #HBH pic.twitter.com/i1Ak6im7hs
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) January 23, 2022
Thousands of stuffed animals, big and small, rained down onto the ice:
Within seconds, just incredible. Within minutes, mesmerizing. #TeddyBearTossHershey #HersheyBearsCares pic.twitter.com/qeVdd7bznN
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 23, 2022
Goaltender Zach Fucale:
Photo: @TheHersheyBears
Defenseman Eddie Wittchow:
Photo: @TheHersheyBears
A view of the on-ice celly:
We’re in the memory making AND the teddy bear collecting industry #TeddyBearTossHershey #HersheyBearsCares pic.twitter.com/O0IrJVURtQ
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 23, 2022
I so badly want to do that too:
BELLLYYYY FLOOPPPPPPP pic.twitter.com/Jwhjix93LH
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 23, 2022
Another belly flop because we can:
POV: You’re jumping into a pile of teddy bears with Alex Alexeyev #TeddyBearTossHershey #HersheyBearsCares pic.twitter.com/mQuYWvUsu1
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 23, 2022
Another incredible angle of the goal and toss:
Go time #TeddyBears @TheHersheyBears @fox43 pic.twitter.com/IczqgFyH1v
— Andrew Kalista (@KalistaAndrew) January 23, 2022
The Bears are currently counting how many stuffed animals were tossed tonight.
Photo: @TheHersheyBears
UPDATE
The Hershey Bears have set a new world record with 52,341 stuffed animals donated to local charity!
This surpasses the club’s previous world record of 45,765 collected in 2019.
As part of the club’s Hershey Bears Cares initiative, which showcases the philanthropic activities and volunteer efforts of Bears players and staff members throughout the community, teddy bears and stuffed animals are collected and donated to more than 25 local organizations including Dauphin County Children and Youth, Cocoa Packs, Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg, Palmyra Lions Club, and Autism Society Greater Harrisburg Area. Additionally, with Hershey setting a new world record, The Sweigart Family Foundation has made a donation of $50,000 to benefit Children’s Miracle Network.
This year’s GIANT Teddy Bear Toss marks the 20th event in team history. The club has collected 322,199 teddy bears since 2001.
By Della Young
