When the Cincinnati Cyclones light the lamp for the first time Friday night against the Fort Wayne Komets and Saturday night against the Kalamazoo Wings, stuffed animals will rain down on the ice and the local hockey community will again make a difference in children's lives.
This year marks the 12th season the Cyclones are partnering with the Cincinnati Police Department for the annual Teddy Bear Toss – an event common around hockey where teams and fans donate stuffed animals to local police and fire departments.
"The Cincinnati Police Department is the recipient of the teddy bears and stuffed animals donated from the great residents of the area," CPD Sgt. Timothy Fritz said.
If you're at the game, Fritz will be the officer driving the marked patrol car onto the ice to collect the donations.
The donations are a part of helping CPD officers ensure their interactions with children in the community are positive.
"We use them as a way to make a positive interaction with the children of our community," Fritz said. "Typically, the fine folks of our community, the only interaction with the police is when something negative happens – they're the victim of a crime, involved in an auto accident – it's usually something traumatic that brings the police around. So, we try to do things to put us in a better light with the kids so they understand not every contact you have with the police has to be a negative experience."
Fritz said the stuffed animals are for use at the discretion of officers in the community and they use them in instances ranging from daily interactions with children they normally see to others where they're watching after a child following a traumatic incident like a car wreck or other incident where the child is awaiting a parent or guardian to come get them.
The end result of the donations fosters trust building in the community, Fritz said.
The Teddy Bear Toss is part of the Throwback Weekend this year, when the Cyclones will have reduced prices on several food and beverage options (yes, dollar beers) as well as reduced ticket prices.
This year marks the return of the Cyclones to the ice with full-capacity crowds after having to pause games and last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can visit Cycloneshockey.com for tickets and more information about the games this weekend. Andrew Mossbrooks, Cyclones director of public relations and broadcasting, said while the team is still finding a way to navigate through the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, it's good to bring back the toss this weekend and provide an escape for the community.
Two years ago, the last time the event occurred, the Cyclones had more than 11,000 stuffed animals donated and hopes are this year's event can rival, if not eclipse, that total.
When the puck dropped on this Cyclones' season, it had been 602 days since the team last took the ice at Heritage Bank Arena. With a new coach and a team primed to make a playoff push, Mossbrooks wants everyone to know what local hockey is all about.
"Now, community matters more than ever," Mossbrooks said. "We are back, but there are still ongoing concerns, obviously. ... What we do here is try to provide an escape."
Mossbrooks highlighted young fans' interactions with their favorite players and being able to see families enjoy a night out as things the Cyclones bring to the community that were missed during the shut down last season. He credits the Cyclones' front office with bringing back the special event this weekend.
"Those moments, those kids take away with them for years. And that's what we create," Mossbrooks said. "Those things happen and we see them happen every single night when we have a home game inside Heritage Bank Center. And I think that makes all the work and sacrifice worthwhile."
While the Cyclones aren't able to continue all their charity work in the community because of pandemic restrictions, Mossbrooks said this weekend is the latest in a long line of what the club offers the community.
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