This past Friday, the Men’s Division I Hockey Team hosted its first annual “Teddy Bear Toss” benefiting Toys for Tots.

As I walked up to the rink, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of members of the Erie community who were present to support our Lakers and also support a good cause. One of Mercyhurst’s core values is to be “Socially Merciful,” and Friday night was one of those times when I could not help but be proud of our students and our community, especially when I saw the massive amounts of stuffed animals flying over the glass and on to the ice.

I would like to thank the men’s hockey team for organizing such a great event, and I want to thank the entire student body for coming to the game with teddy bears in hand. Even though we are all poor college students, it is instances like these where we show kindness to others through charity that set us apart from other colleges and universities and make me proud to call myself a Laker.

If you have not attended a hockey game this season, I highly suggest you attend not only one of our men’s hockey games, but also our women’s hockey and our club hockey games as well. Our teams greatly appreciate the student support, and the games are fast-paced and exciting as well.

During this past term, I have watched a small group of friends getting together to cheer for our football team turn into a mass student movement dedicated to supporting Mercyhurst Athletics, and it is truly starting to transform the social landscape of our little college.

We have proved that we can cheer as loud, and perhaps even louder, than our larger rivals. In addition, we have the same element of tradition and prestige as bigger schools, and the Teddy Bear Toss established how unique our student body is. Not only was it ridiculously fun to throw a stuffed animal on the ice in celebration of our first goal, but also it was heartwarming to imagine how many children in need will be receiving our bears as a gift this Christmas.