SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Thunderbirds set a new team record by collecting 6,083 stuffed animals during Saturday's 6th Annual Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Teddy Bear Pools & Spas, inside the MassMutual Center. It broke the previous record of 5,168 bears collected during the 2021 edition of the Teddy Bear Toss.
 
While the "toss" portion of this annual event was completed over the weekend, the more meaningful portion of the Teddy Bear Toss began on Monday afternoon. Captain Tommy Cross - along with teammates Steven Santini, Tyler Tucker, and Jake Neighbours - joined team mascot "Boomer" and T-Birds staff members on the team bus and transported the stuffed animals throughout the Pioneer Valley. Charitable benefactors of these donations include CHD, the Springfield Boys & Girls Club, Square One, the Boys & Girls Club Family Center of Springfield, Ronald McDonald House, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, and the Springfield YMCA.
 
"The sellout crowd on Teddy Bear Toss night led directly to such a historic impact in our community," said Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa. "This time of year brings out the very best in our fans and the community as a whole, and it is difficult to put into words how much the gift of these stuffed animals will mean for so many children in Western Mass. Seeing these kids beaming with joy makes all of our efforts worthwhile."
 
Established during the Thunderbirds' inaugural season in 2016, the Teddy Bear Toss has contributed more than 26,000 stuffed animals to local Springfield charities, all with the overarching goal of providing gifts and smiles to underprivileged and underserved youth in the Greater Springfield community. 

Charitable organizations not listed above that have an interest in receiving teddy bears can contact the Thunderbirds by clicking here. For more information on the Springfield Thunderbirds and their charitable contributions, please visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com. To donate to the T-Birds Foundation, click here.