Spokane Chiefs crowd breaks record during Teddy Bear Toss

The Spokane Chiefs figured their fans had waited long enough and scored their first goal of the annual Teddy Bear Toss game three minutes and four seconds into the second period, with quite a few fans still in line for concessions.

The crowd roared, the Chiefs players rushed the ice and stuffed animals of all shapes, sizes and hues rained down on the ice when Chase Harrington sunk the puck into the Tri-City Americans’ net. A record-setting 9,087 stuffed animals hit the ice, beating the previous record of 8,604 set in 2019.

“I just kind of got a shot through,” Harrington said as stuffed animals continued to fall. “It’s unreal. It’s electric in here.”

It took 23 minutes for a small army of volunteers to cram the stuffed animals into five extended cab pickup trucks before turning to trash bags when the trucks were so full there was barely enough room for the drivers.

The Teddy Bear Toss has been an annual tradition for decades, with the toys being donated to the Christmas Bureau. The Bureau is a joint effort by Catholic Charities, the Volunteers of America and The Spokesman-Review to provide grocery store vouchers to families in need at Christmas along with a toy and a book for each child.

It’s not unusual for the Teddy Bear Toss game to sell out, and fans often report there’s just a special vibe in the air. Angela Berto has been coming to the Teddy Bear Toss game since it was played in the former arena, known as the Boone Street Barn.

“I was a kid,” she said. “We come for Teddy Bear Toss every year for sure.”

Her group picked out a pair of hot pink and orange Care Bears as well as a bright red and orange dinosaur. Berto said they tried to pick stuffed animals that would be gender neutral and appeal to all ages.

Berto said she can’t imagine not coming to the Teddy Bear Toss.

“It brings the holiday spirit, to be honest,” she said.

Makenna Simmons and Megan Pratley picked out the biggest teddy bears they could find and then stationed themselves next to the ice. It was their first Teddy Bear Toss.

“We have season tickets this year, so it’s a big thing that was talked about,” Simmons said of the toss. “I’m not sure I can get it over the glass.”

“It’s very exciting,” Pratley said.

Dave Rier brought a small white polar bear with a red scarf, attending the game with a group of coworkers from Jubilant HolisterStier, the sponsor of the game. It would be his first Teddy Bear Toss. “It’s going to be great – the game, the donation, the atmosphere,” he said.

Spokane Chiefs players wore special Teddy Bear Toss jerseys during Saturday night’s game, which will be auctioned off with the proceeds split between the Christmas Bureau and the Spokane Chiefs Continuing Education Program.

This is the second year of wearing special jerseys on Teddy Bear Toss night. For years, the Chiefs were allowed only three special jerseys, which were reserved for Military Appreciation Day, Chiefs Fight Cancer and St. Patrick’s Day, said Alex Costanzo, director of marketing and community relations.

“Last year, the league let us do a fourth, so we introduced our Teddy Bear Toss jersey,” Costanzo said. “We wanted it to be something that made sense, not a one-off, random day.”

This year’s special Teddy Bear Toss jersey is white with the face of Boomer, the Chiefs’ mascot, wearing a Santa hat on the front. There are red and green stripes on the sleeve, and the player’s name on the back is in green text with the player number in red.

The auction to win one of the special jerseys is already live at https://fans.winwithdash.com/team/spokanechiefs and will close on Dec. 10. The minimum bid for a game jersey is $350.

The auction of the 2024 jerseys raised $3,000 for the Christmas Bureau.

Donations

New donations of $5,125.24 have nudged up the year-to-date total to $114,973.53. The goal is to raise $600,000 to pay for grocery store vouchers, toys and books for families in need of a little Christmas cheer.

Steven and Linda Swartley, of Spokane, donated $500. Robert Weigand, of Spokane, gave $500. Stephen Scott sent $500 via PayPal, writing “Merry Christmas and many thanks to all the people who work at the Christmas Bureau.” Carol Pierre contributed $500 via PayPal.

John and Catherine Caskey, of Spokane, gave $250. “Thank you for this special Spokane Christmas event,” they wrote. Joyce and George Schroeder, of Spokane, sent $250, writing “We are always appreciative for your longtime role in our community and efforts of many volunteers.” James Vroman, of Spokane, contributed $250. Elizabeth Pontarolo donated $250 via PayPal.

Gayle Fox, of Spokane, sent $200, writing “Thank you for all the good work you do!” Charlotte and John Sullivan, of Spokane, gave $200 “in memory of our parents.” Marcia Dorwin gave $200 via PayPal, writing “Thanks for all you do for our community.”

Stephen Menzel donated $200 via PayPal, as did an anonymous donor.

Phyllis Worden gave $150 via PayPal.

Mike and Dorothy McMurtery, of Spokane, gave $100. Bonnie Nelson, of Spokane, donated $100. “Thank you for all that you do for our community at Christmas,” she wrote. “You are all a blessing to us.” An anonymous donor contributed $100. Gary Van Assen sent $100 via PayPal in memory of Tana Van Assen.

Sharon Boyers, of Spokane Valley, sent $100. “Thank you for once again this year doing the Christmas Fund,” she wrote. “Every year I look forward to sending in a donation so every child has a gift and not feel left out.” Luella Jobin, of Spokane, donated $100. Susan Moyer of Spokane, gave $100, writing “Thank you for all the dedicated work you do.”

Terryl Martin sent $100 via PayPal, writing “this donation is in honor of my dad, Larry Goehner, who wants all children to be happy.” Reinhard Foerg contributed $100 via PayPal, as did Cara Reidy.

Sandra Goodner, of Four Lakes, gave $25. Robert and Shirley Hillhouse, of Spokane Valley, contributed $25.