At halftime of Real Betis’ match against Real Sociedad, fans created quite a ruckus. As the players departed the field, the fans followed suit, tossing tens of thousands of gifts and stuffed animals onto the pitch as part of a philanthropic initiative to assist underprivileged children and families during the Christmas season.
It’s Real Betis’ annual toy drive, and several other teams and clubs have similar moments, but even if you think you’ve seen something similar before, watch the video.
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Every time you think it’s over, the toys just keep coming
🐶🐻🦁🐮🤩
Por encima de todas, esta es 𝐋𝐀 𝐅𝐎𝐓𝐎 de hoy.#DíaDeBetis #RealBetisRealSociedad pic.twitter.com/44S7KqG4CQ
— Real Betis Balompié 🌴💚 (@RealBetis) December 12, 2021
There’s also a nice teamwork aspect of the effort as well, as toys from the upper level are tossed down to the lower level before eventually making it to the field.
When the toss was finally completed, the club had brought in quite a haul.
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After their 4-0 victory, Real Betis will head into the Christmas season in third place in the La Liga table.
Real Betis fans threw thousands of stuffed toys onto the pitch at half-time yesterday 🧸
It's an annual tradition to make sure disadvantaged children don't go without a gift at Christmas ❤️🎁 pic.twitter.com/WYpfLKVUlt
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 13, 2021
This is an annual tradition
This tradition is many years old now as fans do this every year where they throw thousands of stuffed toys onto the pitch at Real Betis’ final home game of the year as part of a philanthropic effort to support underprivileged children ahead of Christmas.
The Spanish Club praised all of its supporters and volunteers on Twitter, writing, “Yesterday’s victory was fantastic, but the most important photo is this one. Thousands of items were donated by fans for children in need, ensuring that everyone receives a gift during these important weeks. Thank you for your support, Béticos! Also, a big thank you to all of our volunteers! You’re the greatest!”
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Fans were requested to bring teddy bears and bunnies no larger than 35 centimeters to hurl from the stands toward the pitch. The toys were subsequently collected by volunteers using blankets and large bags.
After the collection concluded, there were over 19,000 stuffed toys and animals that were thrown at the pitch, which were then distributed, to underprivileged kids for Christmas.