Teddy Bear Toss Record in Eagles Country
Dec 10, 2018
“The puck squirts free, upstairs Davis, moves it wide side, shot, SCORESSS!!! Michael Joly sends the bears flying here in Colorado.” The voice of the Eagles, Kevin McGlue, makes the call as teddy bears and other stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes rain over the glass at the Budweiser Events Center. “This event has become the unofficial kick off to the holiday season for Eagles Country and what better way to welcome in the season of giving than with this night. Our fans have taken ownership of this incredible evening and to see it grow to a point where over 10,000 stuffed animals are headed to children in need, it truly shows what the Eagles and their fans are all about.” The 10,000 plus stuffed animals are loaded up into Pederson Toyota trucks almost instantly after they hit the ice. Then comes the task of transferring them from the trucks into semitrucks and counting all the bears. Eagles Assistant General Manager, Gavin Riches, is on the front lines every year of this task. “After numerous counts over the years we are confident that a loaded Pedersen Toyota pickup can hold between 600-800+ bears. These trucks are jammed with stuffed animals, we find them under seats, in cup holders, it’s so many that you can hardly find the shifter to put it into park after the truck is off the ice. There are lots of variables as the bears range in size from life-size to the size of a fist, but I think our count is pretty accurate and in reflecting on this year, it might be a little light as those trucks were overflowing.”
As the bears continue to rain down on the ice, Eagles players make their way off the bench to start piling the bears into the six Pederson Toyota trucks that begin to circle up around the ice. For Eagles forward Logan O’Connor he’s witnessing this sight for the first time, “It was pretty amazing seeing Jols score that goal and see the bears come flying over. They were coming over the glass for a solid 10 minutes. It’s really cool to see the support this team has and to know these bears are going to be used for a good cause.” Being thrown onto the ice is not the end of the bears journey, rather it is the beginning of something special. The bears and various stuffed animals are bagged and put into a semi-truck waiting in the loading dock of the Budweiser Events Center. Once all the bears have been cleaned off the ice and loaded up the Pepsi semi-truck heads over to the iHeart radio studios to be unloaded so the bears can dry out overnight. The very next morning the bears are gathered up once again and headed to their new homes in the arms of a child in need of a gift. O’Connor had this to say about the impact Teddy Bear Toss, “It’s special to know these bears are going to a good cause and that we can help in a way through this game that we all love. It’s nice to see it has a bigger impact and that the fans have a bigger impact than just watching us play, we all get to be a part of something bigger on nights like this.”
The bears and other stuffed animals tossed on Teddy Bear Toss night will impact a myriad of charities in Northern Colorado, most of which are aimed at providing a gift this holiday season to a child who would otherwise not receive a gift. “I thought about the kids. With all the teddy bears, the different styles of bears, different colors of bears, and sizes of bears it was a great springboard to get into the holiday spirit with Christmas right around the corner” says Head Coach Greg Cronin. This was Cronin’s first Teddy Bear Toss in Eagles Country and with a record estimate of over 10,000 bears thrown, the fans made it an experience he would not forget. “I think the crowds here are just terrific. We’re so lucky that we have such an engaged and passionate people here that come out for every game. Our guys are spoiled with that, in the American Hockey League it doesn’t happen like that in eight out of ten cities. Teddy Bear night is a reflection of the investment the crowd has in the organization and the passion they have for our team.”
This night, among others, are just a constant reminder the Eagles have made a commitment to doing more in the community than just play hockey games and Eagles President Chris Stewart has been at the forefront of these initiatives since the organization’s inception. “The event was something I looked at a long time ago for the simple fact that I wanted to find different ways to weave ourselves into the fabric of this community” says Stewart about how Teddy Bear Toss began. “Our fans have been so generous over the years and have long arms even if though some may have short pockets. They always dig deep for this community and rally together. We’re just happy to be a big part of this community and provide a way for our fans to bless some kiddos in need year after year.”
