ELMIRA, N.Y. — On Thursday, December 7, Elmira College men’s ice hockey head coach Aaron Saul ’98 brought several Soaring Eagles to the Catholic Charities of Chemung & Schuyler Counties to make a special delivery. EC donated 395 teddy bears and assorted stuffed animals to the local charity just in time for the holiday season, as a result of the team’s first Teddy Bear Toss.
When the Soaring Eagles played Lebanon Valley on December 2 at the Murray Athletic Center, the team encouraged fans to bring a new stuffed animal that would be thrown onto the ice following Elmira’s first goal. That goal was registered just 2:35 after the opening puck drop by Spencer Carter ’20, who is now known affectionately as “Teddy Bear” by his teammates. It is a moment the sophomore defenseman will remember for years to come.
“From my perspective on the ice, after realizing the puck had gone in, it was genuinely a surreal experience watching the teddy bears reign down onto the ice,” Carter explained. “Not just for my sake, but realizing that many people were willing to donate teddy bears to children in need definitely hit home. Also, since it was my first collegiate goal, it added to the overall excitement of the situation.”
Eight student-athletes – Chris Moses ’19, Anthony Parrucci ’20, Nick Ford ’20, Andrew Pucci ’20, Spencer MacLean ’20, Connor Powell ’20, Matthew Cuce ’20 and Gennaro Anzevino ’21 – joined Saul, assistant coach Mike Zannella and Director of Hockey Operations Kyle Tomkalski ’16, when they delivered the plush toys to the Catholic Charities office in downtown Elmira. Saul said he looks forward to continuing this new tradition in the future, with the hopes of collecting even more toys next winter as a way for the EC men’s ice hockey team to make a positive impact on the surrounding community.
“It was our first-ever Teddy Bear Toss and we were excited to give back to our community,” he stated. “It is a great feeling to give back and bring some joy to local kids this Christmas. Special thanks to Kyle Tomkalski, who was a big help with putting everything together.”
