Sandman Centre will be the place to be in Kamloops this weekend.

The Kamloops Blazers will be hosting the Seattle Thunderbirds and it’s no ordinary game night.

It’s the annual Teddy Bear Toss, which will be back in person after going virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Photo Credit: Kamloops Blazers

Fans will be encouraged to bring a stuffed animal to the rink on Friday night that they can toss onto the ice when the Blazers score their first goal.

Those stuffed animals will be collected, brought to Royal Inland Hospital and donated to children in the pediatric department.

Although the popular holiday tradition is back in person this year, it will actually be taking on a hybrid form.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The RIH Foundation is encouraging supporters to make a thoughtful donation online, which will be used to buy even more stuffed animals to replenish the pediatric department’s critically low teddy bear inventory.

A goal of raising $5,000 has been set, which will help ensure RIH’s youngest patients have a cuddly friend to depend on in a time of need.