New Red Mittens Unveiled: Helping Canadian Athletes Go For Gold in London 2012

Building on momentum from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games in celebrating Canadian athletes, the Canadian Olympic Foundation is proud to launch the next generation of its iconic Canadian Olympic Team Red Mittens for fall 2011, in partnership with the Hudson’s Bay Company. For every $10-dollar pair of mittens sold, three dollars goes towards supporting Canadian Olympic Team athletes as they prepare for the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

"Our Red Mittens campaign provides the Canadian Olympic Foundation with a great way to help support our athletes on their Olympic journey," said Chris Overholt, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the Canadian Olympic Committee. "We have new mittens for a new year, but the goal is still the same: supporting Canada’s Olympic athletes."

Some of Canada’s top summer Olympians, including three-time Olympic medallist in the sport of Trampoline, Karen Cockburn, Olympic gold medal rower Adam Kreek, diver Jennifer Abel and canoeist Mark Oldershaw will take part in the Red Mittens campaign, which will feature the iconic mittens in promotional appearances across the country.

"I am so proud to take part in this campaign to support my fellow athletes," said three-time Olympic trampoline medallist Karen Cockburn. "Every Red Mitten sold, will help our athletes achieve their Olympic dreams. It’s such an easy way to demonstrate your support and says you’re part of the Canadian Olympic Team."

"I think most of us can remember the iconic Red Mittens of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Everybody wanted them!" said 2008 Olympic rowing gold medallist Adam Kreek.

To encourage Canadians to show their pride and wear their Red Mittens, Canadian athletes will post their own photos of them wearing the newest mittens on their Facebook and Twitter, as well as the Canadian Olympic Team’s Facebook page . Canadians from coast to coast will also be encouraged to post photos with their Red Mittens, with Twitter hash-tag #RedMittens.

"The Hudson’s Bay Company first supported Canada’s Olympic athletes in 1936 and has been a premier national partner since 2005. It’s always inspiring to have the opportunity to play a hand in helping our athletes achieve their personal best," said Bonnie Brooks, CEO and President of the Hudson’s Bay Trading Company. "With the Red Mittens campaign, we are providing Canadians with the chance to take part in the success of our athletes while wearing our nation’s colours and demonstrating our national pride."

When originally launched in 2009 by VANOC through the Hudson’s Bay Company, 3.5 million pairs of Red Mittens were sold, helping to raise over $14 million in the first year. Last year, over 1.63 million pairs of mittens were sold, contributing $4.9 million in funds to the Canadian Olympic Foundation, supporting programs like Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Athlete Excellence Fund, Olympic and Pan American Games preparation and Games missions.

The third-generation Red Mittens are now available at The Bay, Zellers and Home Outfitters, and will also be available online at http://www.thebay.com.

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