NEWCASTLE Jets CEO Lawrie McKinna will push for the teddy bear toss to be a league-wide charity event from next year.
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McKinna was blown away by the level of support from Newcastle fans who donated 1414 teddy bears at the Jets' game on Sunday which will be distributed to Hunter families for Christmas.
"I was thinking 300 to 400 bears, maybe 500 if we were lucky," McKinna said. "When I got to the stadium for the W-League game and saw families walking in with plastic bags full of bears, there was a real nice vibe. To get 1414 bears was huge. It just blew us away.
"The Samaritans are hosting a lunch on Christmas day and they will get between 500 and 600 bears to give out as presents. Nova for Women and Children refuge, the Hunter White Ribbon Committee and Zara's House will get a heap. Ronald McDonald House and John Hunter Children's hospital will also benefit."
McKinna is attending a CEO's conference at A-League headquarters on Tuesday and will propose to roll out the initiative.
"Hopefully every club will host a teddy bear toss at their home game before Christmas," he said.
"We organised it in five days. The Terrace Novocastria supporters group came to us with the idea. I saw the Feyenoord one a few years ago and thought, yep lets do this together. It was brilliant. To have santa do a fly-by in the Westpac Rescue Helicopter added to the day.
"Even though the 4-0 loss to City was a poor result everyone was talking about how well the teddy bear toss was supported. It was the one positive."
