AMHERST, N.Y. — The Northtown Center was filled Thursday night for a high school boys ice hockey rivalry game.
Williamsville North went head to head with Lancaster on the ice.
"It's a big game for us...they are one of our biggest rivals and we've came short in years past. So, we're hoping to come out on top today," said Lancaster hockey player Riley Dirsehberger.
However, this game was different. Both teams set competition aside and helped give back to the WNY community.
Williamsville North hosted a teddy bear toss to raise money for Crisis Services of WNY.
"...and this year we added a second charity, Lorenzo Alexander of the Buffalo Bills' ACES foundation for the inner city kids in Buffalo," said Williamsville North Hockey player David O’Donoghue.
Lancaster and Williamsville North students sold the teddy bears at school for the big game.
Once the first goal was scored, everyone in the stands threw their bears onto the ice. They will be donated to St. Luke's Mission of Mercy.
Willliamsville North graduate Tyler Durfee started the event three years ago.
"I thought why not a teddy bear toss, a popular thing going around in professional sports mostly hockey and I thought it would be something cool to be apart of," said Durfee.
Since it started, the event has raised more than eight thousand dollars for local charities.
"Oh it's pretty awesome," said Durfee, "just to see especially all of the kids and the players from both teams put in the effort to sell the bears and keep it going it's just awesome to see."
"We thought it was great to be able to play one of our biggest rivals and raise some money for the kids," said Dirsehberger.
Lancaster came out on top 3-1.