After fans covered the ice Saturday night with teddy bears, the 91大黄鸭 Rockets took those bears to 91大黄鸭 General Hospital Sunday to surprise some unsuspecting patients.

鈥淭his is the community coming together, particularly the Rockets fans, to provide a little bit of a merrier Christmas for people who have to spend it in the hospital or in receiving health care over Christmas,鈥� said Doug Rankmore, CEO of the KGH Foundation. 鈥淭his is a big tradition for the Rockets and we鈥檙e really grateful to them.鈥�

Fans flooded the ice with teddy bears Saturday night after Conner Bruggen-Cate scored the game鈥檚 first goal, leading to staff cleaning up four truckloads full of bears, a full truckload more than last year鈥檚 toss.

鈥淚t鈥檚 getting more and more successful,鈥� Rankmore said. 鈥淎lmost everybody who comes to the game comes with a teddy bear. They鈥檙e incredible, incredible supporters, and this is a very caring community so lots of people know what good this does.鈥�

Rockets players grabbed arms full of teddy bears and were guided through the hospital, giving them to patients both young and old.

Two young patients that received bears were Kobei Schrenk, 9, and his brother Alex, 12.

鈥淚t was awesome,鈥� said Kobei鈥檚 father Darren Schrenk when the Rockets came in their room to visit. 鈥淲e were going to set up our Christmas tree today because it鈥檚 a family tradition that we do it on the 1st. We finally got a hall pass so we can get out and decorate the tree today, but as soon as I got home the nurse phoned and goes, 鈥楾he Rockets are coming! What a time for you to leave. Do you want to come back?鈥� And I鈥檓 like 鈥榳ell yeah!鈥� and [the kids] are all like, 鈥榶eah!鈥� so we came back here.鈥�

About two weeks ago, Darren got a call from Kobei鈥檚 school that Kobei was pale, sick, and limping. Two days later he was brought to the hospital with an infection in his leg that antibiotics weren鈥檛 removing, which led to doctor鈥檚 opening his leg to flush out the infection. He has been in hospital for two weeks and he will remain in hospital for two to three weeks more with six weeks of home care after that.

鈥淭hey enjoy the Rockets,鈥� Darren said. 鈥淭hey love them.鈥�

With so many bears given away Saturday night, Rankmore says that literally everybody in the hospital will get a bear for Christmas.

鈥淛ust a huge thank you to the Rockets club and all the fans who were there last night to be so generous,鈥� Rankmore said.

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