GIANT Teddy Bear Toss benefits Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital
The thousands of teddy bears and other stuffed animals that fans tossed onto the ice at yesterday’s Hershey Bears hockey game will once again bring comfort and care to children in our community. The game marked the Bears’ annual Teddy Bear Toss, benefiting local charities and children’s organizations, including Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) at Golisano Children’s Hospital at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
For the past 10 years, the Sweigart Family Foundation of Lancaster County has helped make the Teddy Bear Toss event even sweeter by donating $1 to CMN at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital for every stuffed animal thrown on the ice up to $50,000. This year, following the passing of Jeff Sweigart—a devoted Bears fan and longtime season ticket holder—the future of that annual donation was uncertain.
Stepping forward to ensure the tradition continued, The GIANT Company picked up the torch, honoring Jeff Sweigart’s passion by committing to carry his legacy forward. The GIANT Company pledged a $100,000 donation to CMN at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital if fans surpassed last year’s total number of bears thrown onto the ice.
“We are so grateful to The GIANT Company for stepping forward to carry on this tradition, especially as this event takes place at the GIANT Center,” said Katie Anderson, director of CMN at Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital. “Their generosity will directly support lifesaving medical care, patient services and groundbreaking research, and demonstrates GIANT’S commitment to children and families in our community, ensuring that Jeff’s legacy of miracles continues.”
The Bears collected 81,796 teddy bears and stuffed animals during the game.
“At GIANT, we believe that there is nothing more important than supporting kids’ health and through our longstanding support of CMN, we’re able to do just that, helping children in our community,” said Jennifer Scott, vice president and chief human resources and community relations officer, The GIANT Company. “The GIANT Teddy Bear Toss is one of our favorite events of the year because it shows the power of partnership and the difference we can make when we work together.”
More than 150 volunteers collaborated to collect, count and sort the donated stuffed animals, which will be distributed to more than 60 local and regional organizations. From its inception in 2001 through the 2025 event, the Hershey Bears hockey team collected 648,246 stuffed animals for local and regional charities.
During intermission, Miracle Child Izzy Rivera and her parents, Pito and Kelly, from Wernersville, were interviewed on the ice. “CMN donors gave our family so much support through our journey, helping us move mountains we never thought we could,” said Kelly. “Being able to give back, even a small part of what we received by sharing our story, means the world to us.”
Learn more at cmnhershey.org.
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