Thunder Collects, Donates Record 5,835 Teddy Bears

Published on February 10, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder, a two-time recipient of the ECHL ‚¬Å“Award of Excellence, ‚¬Â announced a record 5,835 stuffed animals were collected and will be donated to local non-profit agencies after the Thunder's sixth annual ‚¬Å“Teddy Bear Toss ‚¬Â game on Jan. 22 against the Ontario Reign at Stockton Arena.

Presented by News10, Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel, KAT Country 103, California Water Service Company and Pepsi, the event hosted a 4-1 Thunder win over Ontario. Jim McKenzie scored the Thunder's first goal of the game in the first period, and fans were invited to follow the event's tradition and throw a stuffed animal onto the ice.

‚¬Å“Fans of the Stockton Thunder continue to amaze, ‚¬Â said Thunder president Dan Chapman. ‚¬Å“They are so supportive of our players, organization and events like this that are so beneficial in serving our community. We couldn't be more proud of our fans, their commitment and dedication. ‚¬Â

The event, drawing a sellout crowd of 9,482 this year to Stockton Arena, aims to deliver new or gently used teddy bears and other stuffed animals from the hands of hockey fans across the San Joaquin Valley to non-profit agencies, courtesy of the United Way of San Joaquin County.

Volunteers from the Woodbridge Fire Department, the Stockton Fire Department, the United Way and other volunteers helped collect the donated stuffed animals, which were carried off the ice into trucks courtesy of Chase Chevrolet and Pacific Storage Company of Stockton.

The record donation helped raise the total to over 24,300 stuffed animals donated from fans to non-profit agencies in San Joaquin county.

The event has also meant success on the ice and at the box office for the Thunder. In six games of the annual event, the Thunder is undefeated in regulation in five of them at 3-1-2. Coming in droves for the annual event, Thunder fans have averaged 9,311 fans in attendance and five of the six annual games have attracted sellout crowds to Stockton Arena.

A proud affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, the Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine for the third straight year, led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew over 200,000 fans for the fifth consecutive season in 2009-10. Season tickets, mini-plans and individual tickets are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



ECHL Stories from February 10, 2011


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.

OurSports Central