The Medicine Hat Tigers' leadership group, as well as rookies Liam and Markus Ruck, visited the Medicine Hat Regional hospital Thursday afternoon, completing the annual trip to deliver bears thrown on the ice at the Medicine Hat News Teddy Bear Toss game on Dec. 7.--PHOTO COURTESY MEDICINE HAT & DISTRICT HEALTH FOUNDATION
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Tigers took an annual but always memorable trip through Medicine Hat Regional Hospital on Thursday.
A total of 10 Tigers brought with them bundles of bears from the Medicine Hat News Teddy Bear Toss, delivering them to children and seniors. The effort was led by the leadership group of captain Oasiz Wiesblatt, assistant Andrew Basha and alternate captains Hunter St. Martin, Mat Ward, Josh Van Mulligen and Bryce Pickford. They were also joined by 20-year-old goaltender Harrison Meneghin and rookies Markus and Liam Ruck.
The latter Ruck had the honours Dec. 7 of the ‘Teddy Bear Toss goal’ 14:07 into a 7-4 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings at Co-op Place. Liam’s goal triggered the release of 2,620 bears and 2,258 toques, mitts and socks from the stands. A total that surpassed the 2,144 bears and 1,409 mitts and socks thrown last year.
“It was a lot of fun just seeing young kids and families, it’s nice to pay them a visit and try to do our best to put a smile on their face with Christmas coming up,” Van Mulligen said.
It was a first-time experience for all but Wiesblatt, who jumped at the opportunity to return for a second year.
“It’s one of the most fun things I can do during Christmas time,” Wiesblatt said. “It’s one of the things I look forward to every year, just a cool moment to come to the hospital and just put some warm-hearted stuff into our hearts and their hearts, too. It’s really cool thing.”
The group of Tigers players and staff moved throughout the hospital, stopping in rooms for either a quick hello and sharing of a furry friend, or a stop and chat that included a lot of laughter and wishes of a happy Holiday Season.
There were frequent stops at the rooms of older residents who have either followed the team along in the paper or by listening to the radio, interested to hear their thoughts on if they’ll win a championship this season. One of their last stops was in the physiotherapy office, where they chopped shop with a trio of seasoned fans, one telling the group to beat Moose Jaw today when they head on the road to face the Warriors.
“It’s just magical, all the patients love it,” Michelle Haukeness, events and community co-ordinator of the Medicine Hat & District Health Foundation said. “Young and old, it just puts every in that Christmas spirit, and the community is so generous with their teddy bear toss.”
They were also able to stop in on the paediatrics wing to meet a few children, and later, some newborns, including a three-day-old future fan. Before the tour was done, Wiesblatt was looking to set up a time to go back and visit with patients on his own. It’s an opportunity that is personal to the 20-year-old.
“I struggled with a tougher childhood in such a way, having deaf parents,” Wiesblatt said. “I always had people making fun of me. So for me, this is something where I can kind of cope with and support others, be there for others when they’re going through tough times. It warms my heart a lot.”
The rest of the bears not joined with their new lifetime friends or left at the hospital will be donated, alongside the winter items to the Medicine Hat News Santa Claus Fund, Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society and the Salvation Army.
