PENHOLD – The Canadian Football League’s prized championship cup made a visit to Penhold late last week.
“It was awesome,” said Zach Groeger, an atom player with the Innisfail Minor Football Association who was thrilled to see the Grey Cup up close.
The Grey Cup, which was first commissioned in 1909 for the Canadian Dominion Football Championship, was part of a fundraiser in Central Alberta on Sept. 21, and thanks to some local connections, made a stop in Penhold.
“We’re two proud Canadians and Albertans wanting to do something good for our community so we put this event on,” said Michelle Tetreault.
She and Charles MacDonald organized a fundraising golf tournament, which was rained out but still raised $20,000 for the Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) in Red Deer Friday.
The MFRC, an organization based in Calgary with a satellite office in Red Deer, supports military families and veterans.
Tetreault called Penhold mayor Mike Yargeau, who pointed out Sugar By Tracy‘s sales of Black Rifle coffee, a Canadian-made coffee that supports military families and veterans across Canada.
“I said let’s do a stop (there) with the cup. It’s a great way to say thank you and support the community,” Tetreault added.
Sugar By Tracy owner Tracy Irwin was thrilled to host the Grey Cup and made the day extra special by donating proceeds from Black Rifle coffee sales and from Grey Cup cupcakes to the MFRC in Red Deer.
“It’s an awesome coffee and proceeds from sales of Black Rifle go towards supporting veterans and their families,” said Irwin.
“All day today one dollar from every one of our drink sales is going to the Military Family Resource Centre. We also have two different cupcakes today, a camouflage military one and a football Grey Cup one. One hundred per cent of proceeds from both of those cupcake sales are going to the MFRC as well,” she added.
The Grey Cup was escorted to Penhold by the Canadian military and members of the Kings Own Calgary Regiment.
Twenty-four-year-old Penholder Tanner Chaboyer, a legally blind resident, had the opportunity to hold the Grey Cup.
“It was my first time holding it but second time being near it,” said Chaboyer, noting it was an experience he won’t soon forget. “If my tear ducts worked, I’d be crying right now.”
Following the fundraiser, the cup returned to Calgary where it will stay until the 106th Grey Cup in Edmonton this November.
