The Hershey Bears’ annual Teddy Bear Toss covered the ice with stuffed animals at the Giant Center during the game on Sunday, December 3, 2017.

More than 9,000 people attended the Teddy Bear Toss, and a new record of 25,017 items were collected.

The toss takes place after the first goal is scored. Fans throw stuffed bears onto the ice, which are then collected and donated to a variety of charities in Central PA, such as: The Children’s Miracle Network, The Ronald McDonald House, and The Boys and Girls Clubs of Harrisburg. The charities donate them to children in the area over the holiday season. 100,000 bears have been donated to children in need over the past 5 years.

In the first period of the game, the Bears were behind the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2-0. However, the Bears fought back to tie the game 2-2.

The game went into overtime, and Hershey’s Chris Bourque scored the winning goal. The Bears left with a 4-3 victory, and fans left knowing they are helping young children this holiday season.