The Springfield Thunderbirds Teddy Bear Toss at the Mass Mutual Center this weekend was successful. Now we know how successful was. Officials say nearly 61 hundred teddy bears were tossed on the ice---and the Thunderbirds have started distributing those bears to various civic groups.
That was a record.
While the "toss" portion of this annual event was completed over the weekend, the more meaningful portion of the Teddy Bear Toss began on Monday afternoon. Captain Tommy Cross - along with teammates Steven Santini, Tyler Tucker, and Jake Neighbours - joined team mascot "Boomer" and T-Birds staff members on the team bus and transported the stuffed animals throughout the Pioneer Valley.
"The sellout crowd on Teddy Bear Toss night led directly to such a historic impact in our community," said Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa. "This time of year brings out the very best in our fans and the community as a whole, and it is difficult to put into words how much the gift of these stuffed animals will mean for so many children in Western Mass. Seeing these kids beaming with joy makes all of our efforts worthwhile."
Since the program got underway more than 26 thousand bears have been tossed and distributed.
(Photo Credit: Lucas Armstrong, Springfield Thunderbirds Media)