30,000 for 30: Calgary Hitmen set record Teddy Bear Toss goal for milestone game

The Calgary Hitmen are set to play in the franchise’s 30th annual Teddy Bear Toss game on Sunday, and they have a bigger milestone they’d like to reach.

With bear requests at an all-time high, the WHL club is looking to break its record of 29,635 plushies from the 2018-19 season by collecting 30,000 stuffed toys at the Saddledome this weekend.

“It’s a big task, but as an organization we make it our goal every year to meet the request for bears,” said Hitmen business operations manager Amy Bontorin. “We are calling on the community and hockey fans to come together to help us in our mission of breaking our record in honour of the 30th annual Teddy Bear Toss.”

The Hitmen are partnering with Enmax for another season.

“The Teddy Bear Toss is one of those events that truly bring our community together and it’s inspiring to see how much joy and support it generates,” said Enmax chief finanical officer Sheri Primrose. “We’re very thankful to the Calgary Hitmen, the fans and our incredible Enmax volunteers, who will collect and sort the bears, for helping make a real difference and spreading warmth to thousands of families this holiday season.”

The bears will be donated to more than 60 local agencies this holiday season. Fans are asked to bring new or gently used small- or medium-sized stuffed toys to toss onto the ice when the Hitmen score their first goal against the Wenatchee Wild. The bears will then be stored overnight courtesy of Driving Force.

Puck-drop for Sunday’s game is 4 p.m., and tickets are available at chl.ca/whl-hitmen

The Hitmen will be back at the Dome on Monday for teddy bear distribution day when organizations will come to collect stuffed toys.

The team will then head out to deliver bears to the Alberta Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.