Please see this November 14 Media Release from the Grey Cup Festival.
The 2023 Grey Cup Festival will feature plenty of activities geared towards the local Hamilton area youth, including a Grey Cup Festival-themed educational program through the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, Purolator Pep Rallies, FirstOntario Community Race to the Cup, the Santa Clause Parade and more!
The five-lesson Grey Cup Festival-themed educational program will teach students the benefits of physical literacy, tackle important social issues and introduce students to the rich history of the Canadian Football League. The program is already underway and is geared to students from grades 4-6 and is perfect for both students and teachers with no prior knowledge of football.
SANTA CLAUS PARADE
The Grey Cup isn’t the only thing coming to Hamilton during the Grey Cup Festival, the big guy himself will be in town for the Santa Claus Parade with a special football twist. This year’s parade will feature the Tiger-Cats Dance & Cheer team, mascots, legendary CFL alumni, Grey Cup-themed floats and of course Santa himself.
The parade will be on Saturday, November 18 at 11 a.m. and will take place downtown Hamilton, in the heart of the 2023 Grey Cup Festival.
FAN CENTRAL
Located on James Street, downtown Hamilton Fan Central will feature plenty of free activities for families and kids of all ages such as a maze, football-themed games and exhibits throughout the John Weir Foote Armoury. Each day will also feature youth flag football as the teams compete daily in the Hamilton Flag Football Classic, presented by Access Storage.
YWCA HAMILTON RISE AND SHINE YOUNG TRAILBLAZERS BREAKFAST
In partnership with the 2023 Grey Cup Festival, YWCA Hamilton will provide youth and supporters in the community, with the unique opportunity to hear directly from trailblazers and advocates in the sport industry through a compelling keynote, and speakers’ panel both led by Kia Nurse. CLICK HERE to get your tickets for this special event!
FIRSTONTARIO COMMUNITY RACE TO THE CUP
Taking place on Thursday, November 16 at 10:30 a.m., the FirstOntario Race to the Cup, In partnership with Around the Bay Road Race, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, and Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, this event will promote health and fitness for 2,000 students. The Race will be one kilometre in distance – from Gage Park to Tim Hortons Field (area outside of South Plaza) – for all participating students.
PUROLATOR PEP RALLIES
In partnership with Purolator, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), and the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB), the Purolator Pep Rallies engaged over 1,500 students across both boards. Canadian football legends visited local schools, to educate the students on the 110 years of the Grey Cup and the rich history of the CFL, while teaching students the importance of health & fitness and teamwork. Students had an opportunity to get their photo taken with the Grey Cup, interact with some of their football heroes, enjoy performances by Stripes and the Ticats Dance and Cheer team and engage in Grey Cup Trivia Challenges.
QUOTES
“The Grey Cup Festival has always been about uniting the city of Hamilton and the region by providing activities for people of all ages.” Said Gerry Fonzo, General Manager, 2023 Grey Cup Festival. “We’re incredibly proud of the rich history of the Grey Cup and the Canadian Football League and we’re excited for the opportunity to introduce so many young people to that history through the many events we have planned at the 2023 Grey Cup Festival.”
“The Grey Cup Festival educational program not only gives students the opportunity to learn more about CFL and Hamilton Tiger-Cats values rooted in human rights but also inspires them to engage with a sport and team that brings so much joy to our city,” said Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini, Director of Education for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. “I am so grateful for the HWDSB Learning Services team who worked tirelessly to prepare these valuable lessons with our commitment to equity and relationship building within the community. These classroom activities will help students understand social issues and how they relate to sport, each other and the global community.”
“From the second the Grey Cup, members of the Ticats, and Purolator were in the building you could feel the energy buzz from the students and staff.” Said Ms. Julie Lamparski, principal at St. David Catholic Elementary School. “The Grey Cup Pep rally is an event students will remember for the rest of their lives. It was loud, spirited and fun- everything you want in a pep rally!”
Updated on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
Travis Burnett
A pioneer in the flag football community, Travis helped co-found the Flag Football World Championship Tour, FlagSpin and USA Flag. Featuring 15+ years of content creation for the sport of flag football, creating and managing the largest flag football tournaments on the planet, coaching experience at the youth and adult level as well as an active player with National and World Championship level experience.