Chicago Steel Hockey asks fans to toss teddy bears for charity Dec. 10

Chicago Steel Hockey asks fans to toss teddy bears for charity on Saturday, Dec. 10, when they host their second annual Teddy Bear Toss. For minor and junior hockey arenas throughout North America, the Teddy Bear toss is a popular Christmas tradition that began 23 years ago with The Kamloops Blazers in Canada.

Fans are asked to bring a new, unwrapped stuffed animal to the game to throw on the ice after the first Chicago Steel goal. The toys are then gathered up to be donated as Christmas presents to hospitals and charities.

"Since we moved to the Fox Valley Ice Arena last year, the community here has really come out to support us, so it was extremely important that we pick a local charity to donate the teddy bears to," explained Dan Lehv, Chicago Steel Hockey president. "We selected Goodwill in St. Charles because of their mission to strengthen communities by helping people from all walks of life reach their full potential by finding work through education and training."

Chicago Steel is having a blockbuster season, and are leading the Eastern conference with 30 points and is also ranked second in the United States Hockey League. The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, when the Chicago Steel host the Fargo Force in the second of a two-game series at at the Fox Valley Arena, 1996 S. Kirk Road in Geneva. For tickets or information, call (855) 51-STEEL, stop by the box office at Fox Valley Ice Arena or visit Tickets.ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.