The Hershey Bears have once again established a new world record in one of the best promotions in all of sports. The Bears, the oldest and most decorated team in the American Hockey League, collected 45,650 teddy bears and stuffed animals in Sunday's annual CommunityAid and abc27 Teddy Bear Toss. This surpasses the club's previous world record of 34,798 collected in 2018. The world-famous event sees fans throw stuffed animals onto the ice following the team's first goal of the game. The stuffed animals are then collected and donated to around 40 local charities ahead of the holiday season.
Local partner CommunityAid will make a donation of 25 cents per stuffed animal collected to benefit the Children's Miracle Network. Additionally, a club seat holder for the Bears will donate $1 per stuffed animal collected on behalf of the Sweigart Family Foundation.
The teddy bears and stuffed animals are collected and donated to nearly 40 local organizations including schools, food banks, churches, lions clubs, as well as the Milton Hershey School, Children's Miracle Network, and the American Cancer Society.
(Photo credit Hershey Bears/Caroline O'Connor)