For the second straight year the Langley Rivermen hand delivered stuffed toys to the children at Langley Memorial Hospital. The stuffed toys were from the Rivermen’s second annual Teddy bear toss on Dec. 14 at the Langley Events Centre against the Coquitlam Express.
“As an organization we feel it is very important to put smiles on kids faces off the ice and there is no better place that we can bring some cheer to people during the holiday season that may need a little encouragement,” said Rivermen director of operations Taylor Henderson.
Three rookies, Evan Anderson, Viktor Dombrovskiy, and Ben Butcher, brought an abundance of stuffed toys to the hospital and personally handed them out to the children on Tuesday afternoon.
“Seeing their faces light up when we gave them a Teddy bear will be something I will never forget,” said Anderson.
“We were a good distraction for the kids who are going through a rough time right now and at this time of the year it can be tough for not only the kids, but on the parents as well.”
The Rivermen junior A hockey organization was overwhelmed by the support from the fans on that particular night and without them, this type of event would not be possible.
“Our ownership and staff have made it a point to help the Langley community as much as possible and this event is one case that our fans help support our goals. It is great to see they came out in full force and donated so much stuffed toys to people that may need some holiday cheer,” Henderson said.
“If we can affect one person for the good this holiday season by our and our fans’ efforts, we feel we have done right to the community and it brings no greater pleasure as an organization than to help make someone feel better.”
The Rivermen return to game action on Dec. 28 for the start of a home-and-home series with the Coquitlam Express.
The teams play the first night in Coquitlam and then at the LEC on Dec. 29.
For tickets, visit www.langleyrivermen.com or call 604-882-8800.
