RoadRunners Teddy Bear Toss A Roaring Success
Published on December 23, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Phoenix RoadRunners News Release
Phoenix, Ariz. (Josh Greene, phxroadrunners.com) - Holiday cheer can come in many forms this time of year - a tightly wrapped present, colorful lights or even musical renditions of holiday favorites. But on December 16, good tidings at America West Arena came in the familiar shape of a teddy bear. Or more accurately, over 700 of them.
The night marked the RoadRunners' first-ever "Teddy Bear Toss," benefiting the Maricopa County Head Start Program. Fans were invited to bring new teddy bears to the game and throw them out onto the ice following the team's first goal. Head Start then donated the furry friends to needy Valley children for the holidays.
The over-5,620 fans in attendance waited until the 10:38 of the second period as team captain Dean Tiltgen re-directed Jake Riddle's centering feed past Bakersfield's goaltender. And once that goal light went on, out came the bears.
"I got a little nervous early in the game when Bakersfield took the lead on us," smiled Team President Claude Lemieux. "But we made a nice comeback, tied the game up and then the teddy bears came out on the ice. It was really, really neat during the holidays - having an event like this and a successful one at that. It meant a lot to us as an organization and also everyone that participated."
One young RoadRunners fan who went above and beyond for the cause was 12-year-old Cara Markey. The Underdown Jr. High seventh grader organized her own holiday toy drive and personally brought in the 46 bears she helped collect.
"I'm really proud," the youngster said. "I'm amazed I could go and feel that, especially with that being the first time the team ever did anything like that. It was pretty cool for my family, too."
In addition to getting an assist from RoadRunners' players in throwing her collected bears onto the ice, Markey was also rewarded for her efforts with a bouquet of flowers and countless close-ups on the big-screen scoreboard.
"My teacher was joking that there was 11 flowers," she added. "So now anytime there is 11 of something we call it a `hockey dozen.' "
Cara initially found out about "Teddy Bear Toss" though her teacher and RoadRunners season ticket holder Mark McCall. He says his student was overwhelmed by the in-game attention, but she'd gladly go through it all again if it meant making a difference in the community.
"That's the type of kid Cara is," McCall said. "She's really motivated and when she went down to a food pantry and saw the work we had done bringing in the food for the community, she looked around and said we needed to do some more with Christmas coming up. She went to the principal and said this is what she wanted to do."
Lemieux added, "It's so touching when you see young people taking it upon themselves to donate their precious time to participate in an event like this."
The night's holiday theme extended off the ice as Santa Claus himself made an appearance, sponsored by Santa's Christmas Theme Park. The group also donated 1,200 park tickets to Head Start families. The theme park is open now through Jan. 8 at the Firebird Raceway.
The RoadRunners return to the ice at 8:30PM MST on Friday, December 30 as they travel to Long Beach to face-off against the Ice Dogs. Catch all the action live on News Talk Radio 1100AM KFNX and online at www.phxroadrunners.com through Pro Sports Radio beginning with "RoadRunners Countdown" at 8:10PM.
Stuck without plans on New Year's Eve? Why not ring in 2006 with the Phoenix RoadRunners? The RoadRunners host the Fresno Falcons at 7:11PM on Saturday, December 31 at America West Arena. Celebrate a Family New Year's Eve with noisemakers, balloons, and lots of fun stuff for the kids. For more information or to order tickets, call (602) 462-GOAL or purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com.
ECHL Stories from December 23, 2005
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- RoadRunners Teddy Bear Toss A Roaring Success - Phoenix RoadRunners
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
