Ice hockey fans take part in ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ for Mansfield school

Ice hockey fans will throw hundreds of teddy bears onto the ice tonight for Mansfield’s Fountaindale SEN School.

Supporters of both Sheffield Steelers and Coventry Blaze will take part in the Fountaindale Teddy Bear Toss during the Elite League clash at the Motorpoint Arena - with fans encouraged to throw them onto the ice when Steelers score their first goal.

The toys will then be gathered up and given to the Nottingham Road school, which helps youngsters aged between three and 19 with physical and sensory needs.

Tonight’s Teddy Bear Toss comes after Steelers’ players visited Fountaindale as part of the club’s North Notts Community partnership with Mansfield firm Hall-Fast Industrial Supplies.

Steelers’ Canadian forward Jeff Legue said: “It really was great to visit the school and see the youngsters. All of the players were talking about what the club could do for the kids and we all agreed that a Teddy Bear Toss, a tradition that has become popular in North America would be a great start.”

One of the bears which will be tossed onto the ice will be Mansfield Town FC mascot Sammy the Stag.

Anglia Way-based Hall-Fast - which is a sponsor and community partner of both the Steelers and the Stags - has committed to raise £50,000 for Fountaindale within two years.

Said Hall-Fast director, Rachel Hall: “It’s great that Mansfield Town are supporting us and will be represented on the ice on Saturday.”

In December, 26,000 bears where thrown onto the ice during a Teddy Bear Toss in Calgary, Canada.