This incredible teddy bear toss happened in the CHL at the Calgary Hitmen’s arena. Approximately 20,000 teddy bears were tossed on the ice after the Hitmen scored a goal.
Before you scratch your head too hard, this is a tradition. The original tradition was spawned by Scott Mellanby years ago when he found a rat in the change room and killed it with a slap shot. Fans of the Florida Panthers started throwing toy rats on the ice after a goal in 1996. The tradition moved on to other NHL arenas before the league imposed a delay of game penalty on the home team whenever fans disrupted the game this way.
The tradition took a charitable twist in this case. Every fan attending the game was asked to bring a teddy bear. When the Hitmen scored, all the bears were thrown onto the ice and the bears were given to charity.
Teddy Tossing Charity Drives
The Teddy Bear Toss Collected 20,000 Bears for Charity in Calgary
Trend Themes
1. Charitable Fundraising - Opportunity to create unique and engaging fundraising events that involve the community and give back to those in need.
2. Crowd Participation - Potential to create interactive fan experiences that encourage audience engagement and create memorable moments in sports and entertainment events.
3. Creative Fan Traditions - Space for fans to develop unique and creative traditions that enhance the atmosphere and spirit of sports events.
Industry Implications
1. Sports and Entertainment - Innovation opportunities to leverage fan enthusiasm and develop new initiatives that enhance the fan experience through immersive and participatory activities.
2. Charitable Organizations - Scope to collaborate with sports teams and fans to organize fundraising events that generate social impact and support various charitable causes.
3. Toy and Teddy Bear Manufacturing - Possibility to partner with sports teams and utilize their fan events to promote and distribute teddy bears, creating new marketing and branding opportunities for toy manufacturers.