Students, parents, faculty, and staff all had the opportunity to practice their pitching skills at the annual Teddy Bear Toss event at Twin Rinks before the Vikings Hockey team took on The Harvey School.
The event was in the works since December 1, when King Cares placed collection boxes at the main entrance to each division. On Wednesday, December 13, the toys were collected and transported to Twin Rinks, the home of the King Ice Hockey team, before the Viking’s match against The Harvey School.
Spectators brought more stuffed animals to the match and picked up the previously collected toys as they entered the rink. After a brief warm-up, Vikings skated over to the audience and motioned for them to toss the donations onto the ice. What followed was a joyous volley of holiday cheer as participants hurled plush bears, Pokemon, dogs, cats, foxes, Disney characters, and more over the tall safety netting. After all of the toys had landed on the ice, the team collected them into large bags before beginning their match.
The positive energy continued throughout the game, which ended with the Vikings dominating 8-1. Afterward, team captains John Freeman ’23, Rex Morris ’23, and Jack O' Callaghan ’23, along with King Cares member Sasha Intile ’23 delivered the gifts to Person 2 Person’s Toy Closet.
"It was great to see the King community come out to cheer on the team and support such a great cause at this year's Teddy Bear Toss game against Harvey," said Head Hockey Coach Guy Savage. "Our players take great pride in being positive members of the community off the ice. Partnering with King Cares and organizations like Person to Person gives our athletes an opportunity to more fully embrace the ideals of sportsmanship, citizenship, leadership, and cooperation. Thank you to everyone that donated stuffed animals to this amazing cause, you've helped so many this holiday season."