📰BIDDEFORD | “UNE Marks a Decade of Giving with 10th Annual Teddy Bear Toss Game"
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
By Mackenzie Schors, Biddeford Buzz Contributing Writer
Now celebrating their 10 year anniversary, UNE has been hosting their annual “Teddy Bear Toss” (TBT) game every year since 2017 - Here’s a glimpse into what TBT weekend looks like for the community and the UNE Nor’easters:
February 11, 2026, What began as a small, community-focused initiative in 2017 has grown into one of the University of New England’s most beloved traditions. This year marked the 10th anniversary of UNE’s Teddy Bear Toss (TBT) game at the Harold Alfond Forum, an event that blends athletics, student leadership, and community outreach into a single night of generosity.
“This game for us is all about the community coming together,” said UNE President James Herbert and First Lady Lynn Brandsma. “We have watched it grow and evolve over the years, and each year we are overwhelmed by how much our UNE family cares for one another, for the young people involved in Make-A-Wish, and for the people in our community.”
Originating in 2017, the Teddy Bear Toss was established as a community-oriented initiative by members of the Harold Alfond Forum team. The goal was to create an event that reflected the leadership values upheld by student building managers while giving back to the surrounding community. Unlike many similar events, the inaugural Teddy Bear Toss was not designed to raise money. Instead, fans were encouraged to donate new or gently used stuffed animals that could be distributed to children in need.
That first year saw more than 500 stuffed animals collected, an impressive total that signaled the event’s potential. Over the following decade, the Teddy Bear Toss steadily evolved into a hallmark of the UNE winter sports season. According to UNE Athletics, Forum Student Building Managers have helped facilitate the donation of more than 23,000 stuffed animals to Southern Maine Health Care and other local community partners since the event began.
This year’s anniversary weekend added hundreds more stuffed animals to that growing total. The tradition was set in motion once again when senior Nathan Chickering and sophomore Emerson Homa each scored the first goal at their respective games. As soon as the puck hit the net, fans launched stuffed animals from the stands, sending hundreds of teddy bears cascading onto the ice in a moment that has become this event's biggest trademark. “We are so incredibly proud of our students,” said Herbert and Brandsma. “We know how hard the Forum Building Managers work to make this a success. That rink is magical for every game, but for the Teddy Bear Toss, it goes beyond that. The love that abounds for everyone, especially for the young people honored by Make-A-Wish, is felt deeply.”
The weekend was filled with Nor’easter goals, two wins for UNE vs Nichols College, and enthusiastic fan participation, creating an energetic atmosphere inside the Alfond Forum. Adding to the symbolism, the celebration led directly into a real Nor’easter storm that swept through the region, underscoring the uniquely Maine spirit of the event.
Reflecting on past highlights, Herbert and Brandsma recalled, "In 2020 shortly after Kobe Bryant passed away, we received the stuffed animals from the memorial left outside the Kobe Bryant Gym at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, where our own children attended high school. People signed cards when they entered the forum that I brought to his high school coaches. It was a memorable moment. That year the crowds couldn’t show up due to the pandemic, but the stuffed animals still sat in the bleachers. It showed such determination on behalf of the building managers to help raise money during a difficult time. That, to us, sums up our UNE family so very well.”
As the Teddy Bear Toss enters its second decade, it remains a powerful example of how UNE combines athletics, student leadership, and community service to make a lasting impact beyond the ice. “Listening to the cheers of the students while out there on center ice, seeing the ovations for the young people who have fought to overcome such adversities, knowing that all the money raised and love given was going to help someone make a wish, that was a moment we’ll never forget,” said Herbert and Brandsma. “We are beyond proud and grateful that we get to be around these incredible students every single day.” From the roar of the crowd to the smiles on every face, the 2026 Teddy Bear Toss showcased the enthusiasm and love students and staff have for this special tradition. What once started as a simple act of giving has become a signature event that continues to spread joy throughout the Southern Maine community, one teddy bear at a time.
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