It’s not too late to get tickets and buy a stuffed animal for the annual tradition that combines hockey and an opportunity to help the community: the Spokane Chiefs Teddy Bear Toss game.

The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at the Spokane Arena as the Chiefs take on the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Western Hockey League play. When the Chiefs score their first goal, fans throw teddy bears and other stuffed animals, some of them as large as 5 feet tall, onto the ice. The stuffed animals are collected and donated to the Christmas Bureau, a joint effort by The Spokesman-Review, Catholic Charities and Volunteers of America to provide grocery store vouchers and gifts to families in need at Christmas.

This is the third year the Teddy Bear Toss game has been sponsored by TDS Fiber, which operates in more than three dozen states and has an office in Spokane. Each office is given a budget for charitable donations and this year TDS Fiber also decided to donate $2,300 to the Christmas Bureau in addition to sponsoring the game, said field marketing manager Luke Hoene.

“It matches up with the values TDS likes to support,” Hoene said of the Teddy Bear Toss. “It’s very important for TDS to be involved in the communities in which we work.”

TDS Fiber has launched a national Week of Giving from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2 this year and the donation to the Christmas Bureau is part of that week, Hoene said.

TDS Fiber also supports other local events and organizations, including the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery’s Santa Express Store, the Spokane Humane Society and Project Beauty Share.

The Teddy Bear Toss routinely nets thousands of stuffed animals ready to go home and be a special friend to children in the area through the Christmas Bureau. Last year 5,175 stuffed animals were tossed onto the ice. The record stands at 8,604 in 2019, the last year the Toss was held before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Teddy Bear Toss game was canceled in 2020.

There’s always a big crowd for Teddy Bear Toss night, but as of Monday tickets still were available at spokanechiefs.com. Tickets range from $19 to $30 for adults and $16 to $27 for seniors, students and military members. Children are $12.

Donations

New donations of $40,758.40 have come in to the Christmas Bureau, some of which arrived throughout the year. The donations bring the year-to-date total to $67,537.18 toward the goal of $600,000 to pay for grocery store vouchers and gifts for those in need.

The Madeleine Muths Memorial Fund donated $24,150.80 via the Innovia Foundation. According to Innovia, the fund was set up by longtime Spokane resident Raymond Muths, who died in 2015 when he was 96. The fund, named after his late sister, supports the Christmas Bureau every year along with four other charities.

The Dolph and Thelma Spalding Family Fund donated $3,000 via the Innovia Foundation. The Guy and Ruth Reed Memorial Fund gave $2,339 via the Innovia Foundation.

TDS Fiber donated $2,300 via PayPal “in honor of the 23rd year of the Spokane Chiefs Teddy Bear Toss, sponsored by TDS and happening on Dec. 3. TDS Fiber is dedicating a ‘Week of Giving’ Nov. 28 to Dec. 2, including nonprofit volunteering and donations nationwide.”

The William A. Crosetto Charitable Foundation sent $2,078.60 via the Innovia Foundation.

Pamela Dixon, of Spokane, donated $1,500. Kathy Deno, of Spokane, sent $1,000. Joseph and Jane Clements gave $1,000 via Edward Jones.

An anonymous Spokane donor gave $600 via PayPal. Annette Seubert, of Spokane, donated $500. An anonymous donor sent $500 via Schwab Charitable.

Todd Jones gave $450 via PayPal “in honor of my parents, Barry and Carole Jones.”

Jon and Judy Scott contributed $250. Michael Meighan sent $200 via PayPal “in honor of Jake and Colleen Meighan.” An anonymous donor gave $200 via Morgan Stanley. Patrick Sprute donated $200 via PayPal.

William Symmes sent $100 via PayPal. Ann Smith gave $100 via PayPal “in honor of Leslie Carlson.” Camilla Tilford contributed $100 via PayPal “in honor of Kathleen Lackie.”

Phyllis Eide donated $50 via PayPal. Commonwealth Associates and James Michaelis each gave $30 via PayPal. Jane Lacock, of Deer Park, gave $25. Angela Watson sent $25 via PayPal.

Lisa Gardner contributed $10 via PayPal. Judith Horton, of Coeur d’Alene, gave four donations of $5 each.