On Monday morning, January 20th, the Blaine high school girls junior varsity and varsity team took time out of their days to make children’s day, bringing bears to ill children in the hospital. They started at the Amplatz Children’s hospital of the U of M where they delivered about five large bags of teddy bears. For health reasons, not everyone could go in to deliver the bears so the seniors brought the bears in to have staff give them out to the children. However they did get to bring one bear to a two year old girl that had broken her arm and visit with her for a moment. Not staying long the teams then proceeded to the Ronald McDonald House.

There the teams were giving a tour of the building and watched some videos about the house, learning all about how it works and the past of it. Here the girls brought large bags of bears as well for the staff to handout to the people residing there. The hockey teams raised the bears through a night called the Teddy Bear Toss which took place on Tuesday, December third this year. Fans buy bears of their choice on their own and then bring the bears to the game and throw them on the ice after the first goal of the game. North Metro scored first this year but the team ended up beating them thirteen  to one. After the fans throw them,  they stop the game to gather the bears, where they bring them to children in hospitals. This year choosing the Ronald McDonald House, the Amplatz and the fire department, which the teams had visited a few weeks before. There they brought bears to the Blaine firefighters who told them they would bring them to kids when responding to fires and other ideas they had. After the teams delivered the bears to the firefighters, they were given a tour of the Blaine fire department. They also were able to go on the trucks and try on some of the gear they use. A unique, fun experience for the hockey girls.

The Teddy Bear Toss  is an annual thing that they do every year. Kate Wehr, sophomore on Varsity says, “I really like doing this every year, because it makes you feel like a good person and warms your heart to bring a bear to sick children and make them happy. I know that’s really cheesy but it’s true, I don’t know, it just warms your heart.” Another girl on the junior varsity team said something similar. “It felt good to know that it was going to make a difference in a child’s life.” Even though they couldn’t directly deliver the bears, the teams still made a difference in children’s lives, giving them something to know that people care about them and having something to cuddle with, while sleeping in a place that’s not home.