More Than 2,000 teddy bears dropped off at KGH
Dec. 9, 2013 – Kelowna, BC
Kelowna Rockets players took some time before heading out on its road trip this week to make a special delivery to Kelowna General Hospital.
Led by team captain Madison Bowey, Rockets players dropped off more than 2,000 teddy bears to KGH after Rockets fans doused Prospera Place with all sorts of stuffed animals at the Rockets inaugural Teddy Bear Toss on Friday night.
“It was a great night and went as good as it could for our first time hosting a teddy bear toss,” said Rockets director of marketing Anne-Marie Hamilton. “We had many of our longtime fans bring in more than one teddy bear and a lot of businesses stepped up as well. We were very happy to be able to deliver so many teddy bears to KGH on behalf of our fans.”
After a scoreless first period, Rockets forward Ryan Olsen scored the team’s first ever teddy bear goal and the teddy’s rained down onto the ice.
In less than five minutes the Rockets game crew and a lot of volunteers from KGH and elsewhere had the teddy bears cleaned up and the game continued.
The Rockets would like to thank everyone who brought a teddy bear, or many bears as well as Lad at Aeropostle in Orchard Park Mall who was one of many who donated more than 40 bears.
The Rockets have committed to holding the Teddy Bear Toss on an annual basis with Kelowna General able to distribute them in the emergency ward and to other patients across the growing hospital.
“It’s not a fun time to be in the hospital but when you can present a child with a teddy bear it can take a lot of the pain away,” said chief of KGH medical staff Dr. Mike Ertel.