The teddies sat at the Abe Lenstra Stadion as Heerenveen defeated FC Emmen 4-0
Translated by Thomas Ansell
Though crowds aren’t allowed at Dutch Eredivisie matches due to the Coronavirus, SC Heerenveen’s players had thousands of beady eyes watching them beat FC Emmen on the weekend. Through a collaboration with KiKa (the Dutch foundation dedicated to childhood cancer) and the pharmaceuticals company MSD, 15,000 teddies filled the Abe Lenstra Stadion. The bears then went on sale online, selling out and raising 230,000 euros in just 24 hours.
As reported by KiKa, more and more donations are coming in thanks to the initiative. The bears were available to buy after the final whistle of on Saturday for 14.95 euros- with all funds going to KiKa. The foundation provides research grants for those looking into childhood cancer in the Netherlands. KiKa was keen to point out that whilst most of the bears were wearing SC Heerenveen’s famous blue and white stripes, non-partisan bears were also available.
To promote the initiative, KiKa and its partners created a video, available here. Though the bears have sold out, if you’d like to get your hands on one there is a contact link available here, where extra bears can be ordered before October 29.
The bears watched and exciting game at the Abe Lenstra Stadion, with Heerenveen scoring through Henk Veerman (x2), Benjamin Nygren, and Rodney Kongolo. Meanwhile, FC Emmen seemed to have a breakdown in responsibility, with two players receiving red cards: Nikolai Lauresen, and the ex-FC Groningen player Simon Tibbling.
