The holiday season is upon us, and generally speaking, it’s a time for giving. More recently, Giving Tuesday, held on December 3, exemplified this spirit through its annual global generosity movement. People gave, companies gave, and at Carlisle Events, the staff brainstormed ways to give back to the local (central PA) community that has proudly supported the company since 1974. The result of this brainstorming session? Throwing teddy bears onto the ice at a local hockey game. Sounds fun, right? It sure is—and it also supports a great cause.

On Sunday, January 5, the Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and back-to-back AHL champions, will host their annual Teddy Bear Toss at the Giant Center in Hershey. Carlisle Events will be there! The evening not only welcomes the Providence Bruins (affiliate of the Boston Bruins) to town but also hosts 11,000+ hockey fans and thousands more teddy bears of all sizes and various levels of cuddly.

Per the Hershey Bears web page, "As part of the club's Hershey Bears Cares initiative, teddy bears and stuffed animals are collected and donated to more than 30 local and regional organizations, including Catherine Hershey Schools, Vista Autism Services, Harrisburg School District, Cocoa Packs, Hershey Food Bank, Helping the Harrisburg Family, Palmyra Lions Club, Milton Hershey School, and Autism Society Greater Harrisburg Area."

Best of all, since 2001—the first year of the toss—nearly 500,000 bears have been flung over the glass and onto the ice. Select Carlisle Events staff will bring nearly 100 bears directly from the Carlisle Store. The store, powered by CarShowGear.com and Green Mountain Monogram, sold these Carlisle Events 50th Anniversary bears in 2024. With an abundance of overstocked plush, snuggly creations available, the Great Mountain team graciously made them available for this special giving moment in January.

Through social media (YouTube and Carlisle Events on Facebook), Carlisle Events will showcase the fun, from retrieving the bears from storage to preparing for the staff night out at the game. Following that, there will be even more videos of the event itself, including bears flying over the glass onto the ice and reactions from Carlisle staff and fans in attendance. In short, it’ll be a memorable night of giving for everyone involved. To learn more about the event that will no doubt sell out and all the great causes it benefits, visit HersheyBears.com.