The Muskoka Bears and Innisfil Spartans stick handled more than pucks on the ice Sunday afternoon at the Innisfil Recreational Complex when pajamas rained down from the stands after the Junior C Spartans scored their first goal at 12:38 into the first period.
This was the third year for the jammie toss and according to Wendy Paz, the administrative officer for the team, it all started with her husband suggesting she should stop giving pajamas as Christmas gifts. Other members of the family then asked why she stopped.
This was the catalyst for the project, Paz explained: “PJ’s last longer than toys and you get cozy in them … we knew of the teddy bear toss, and my husband said why don’t we do that with pajamas?”
The teddy bear toss is a pre-Christmas hockey tradition that originated in 1993 with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Junior League and the stuffed animals were donated to charities.
Picking up the clothing from the ice was the “Cram the Ram” truck brought from 400 Chrysler. The group collected and counted the sets at the game and Sunday night, Paz told InnisfilToday.
A total of 114 sets were collected.
The first goal that triggered the crowd to catapult the clothing was scored by Spartan forward Ethan Hazelwood on Bears goalie Connor Sampson.
All PJs collected were donated to Community for Kids, a registered charity that work with Innisfil families that need food, backpacks and related items for school in September and assist with other aspects of dealing with life for families if they have limited financial resources.
The Spartans took the game 4-0, grabbing the last goal on a power play in the third period, with Muskoka taking 22 shots on net and Innisfil 42.
