Outrage at rival players at a Czech top-flight soccer game between Prague city rivals Sparta and Slavia turned into a charity event that raised a hefty sum for sick children, Slavia said Monday.

Before Sunday's derby, Sparta fans vowed to punish three Slavia players who had once played for their club by throwing stuffed animals - mostly rats - at them.

But Slavia responded by vowing to send 100 Czech koruna ($4.24) for each such toy to a charity helping children suffering from leukemia at a Prague hospital, asking its fans to join the fluffy pitch invasion as well.

"We are aware that we owe Sparta for the outstanding players they have left us," Slavia boss Jaroslav Tvrdik tweeted to explain the move with a dose of irony.

Two Slavia midfielders Nicolae Stanciu and Josef Husbauer and defender David Hovorka indeed found themselves facing a shower of stuffed toys which yielded 189,200 koruna ( $8,000) in the end.