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Teddy bear toss helping give comfort to kids at Christmas (2 photos)

Donations boost Christmas Angel Campaign

Teddy bears donated at a Timmins Rock game are giving comfort to kids this Christmas.

The Junior A hockey team held the teddy bear toss at their Dec. 5 game. Four Timmins Rock players were at North Eastern Ontario Family and Children's Services (NEOFACS) to unload the toys today.

The bears will be distributed by NEOFACS through the Christmas Angel Campaign.

“The teddy bears are going to go to anyone receiving services from NEOFACS or any community members who self-identified as needing a little extra help at Christmas time,” said Brooke Ballantyne, NEOFACS recruitment, volunteer and communications co-ordinator.

She said NEOFACS also shares teddy bears with the Cochrane District EMS and the Timmins and District Hospital emergency room.

To a child, Ballantyne said the bears provide comfort.

“It lets them know somebody is thinking about them and it becomes their special little buddy and their little playmate that they have, which is awesome,” she said.

For the teddy bear toss, fans lobbed their toys onto the ice after the Rock's first goal.

It took a while for the home team to score the goal, and Ballantyne said people were getting anxious to toss their bears. 

Once the puck slid through the pipes, defenceman Grant McClellan said the team cleared the bench to help clean up all the toys. 

Today is the second year that McClellan helped deliver the toys to NEOFACS. 

“It’s huge, it gets our faces out there, it shows that we’re kind of multi-dimensional, we’re not just hockey players we like to go out and help people,” he said.  “It’s real important to get some support from the community and show that we do care.”

If you want to catch a Rock game, they have two at home this weekend.

Saturday, Dec. 16 they take on the Espanola Express at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 17 they are facing off against the Powassan Voodoos at 3 p.m. The games are played at the McIntyre Arena.