2026 Hershey Bears Teddy Bear Toss

On January 4, 2026, “sweet cuddly mayhem” once again rained down on the ice during the Hershey Bears' annual GIANT Teddy Bear Toss! The marquee event of the club's Hershey Bears Cares community initiative, this event is a fan and player favorite. This year, the club collected 81,796 teddy bears and stuffed animals that were donated to more than 60 local and regional organizations. Since the first Teddy Bear Toss in 2001, the Hershey Bears have collected 648,246 plush toys for area residents to enjoy! Last year's event saw 102,343 teddy bears collected, which remains the world record for the most teddy bears collected during a hockey teddy bear toss game. 

The fur flies when the Hershey Bears score the team's first goal of the game. This year's honor went to defenseman Louie Belpedio at the 2:55 mark of the first period. When the buzzer sounded, a corps of volunteers ascended into the rink to clear the ice and collect the stuffed animals. Players from the Eastern Pennsylvania Hockey group, also known as the "Statie Grays," consisting of Pennsylvania State Troopers, along with the Hershey Eagles, Central Pennsylvania's premier military hockey club supporting active duty, Reserve, Guard, and veterans, joined in the clean-up process along with more than 50 Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R) team members. Milton Hershey School students and staff members joined additional HE&R volunteers on the GIANT Center plaza to collect and count stuffed animals as fans entered the building. 

At its heart, Hershey's Teddy Bear Toss is about community, kindness, and generosity. Our Bears fans are the best in the American Hockey League! Every year, they raise the bar on what it means to give back. Additionally, more than 100 volunteers from Children's Miracle Network Hershey (CMN) joined HE&R team members to count and bag thousands of plush toys. CMN has benefited from the Teddy Bear Toss for several years. For the past decade, the Sweigart Family Foundation of Lancaster County donated $1 to CMN at Golisano Children's Hospital at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for every animal thrown on the ice. This year, The GIANT Company stepped in to honor the late Jeff Sweigart, a devoted Bears fan and longtime season ticket holder, to keep his passion alive. The GIANT Company graciously donated $100,000 to CMN. 

On Monday, January 5, 2026, the 81,796 donated stuffed animals were distributed to more than 60 local and regional organizations, including several new groups such as Lancaster Food Hub, Elizabethtown Fire Department, LaMancha Animal Rescue, Hummelstown Fire Department, Helping Hands of Juniata County, and Lucky Dawg Pet Rescue. Dozens of HE&R team members packed cars and trucks, sending smiles across the region. Thank you to our amazing fans and community members for making the 2026 Teddy Bear Toss another wonderful experience!