Red mittens as much about looking forward as they are about looking back at the 2010 Olympics
Credit to Author: Aleesha Harris| Date: Thu, 06 Feb 2020 19:41:46 +0000
When thinking back to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, it’s hard not to remember those chunky red mittens.
The hand warmers were among the most sought-after Olympic paraphernalia, worn by athletes, fans, residents and visitors. It seemed everyone was wearing them. And those who weren’t, well, they surely seemed to want them (remember the lineups?)
While the Games have come and gone, the knitted mittens have lived on. Pairs can still be spotted on the hands of fellow commuters, at outdoor winter events and, of course, within the stores of the company that initially offered them, Hudson’s Bay.
“I can’t imagine anyone could have anticipated the momentum that the red mittens created,” Meghan Namath, senior vice-president of marketing at Hudson’s Bay, says.
“From the moment Team Canada entered the stadium during the Opening Ceremony in Vancouver, the Red Mitten became the most coveted item of the Games, both at home and abroad …
“They were also an attainable item that literally created a way to share the warmth of Canada’s Olympic spirit,” Namath says.
The host Canadian Olympic team led by Clara Hughes enters the stadium during the Opening Ceremony in Vancouver, on February 12, 2010, during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
But, it’s not the ability of those red mittens to conjure happy memories of the Olympic spirit that swept the city during that 16-day stretch that’s the most remarkable. It’s the impact the purchase of each pair of mittens had — and continues to have — on Canadian athletes.
A portion of the sale of each pair of $15 mittens ($3.90, to be exact) goes toward the Canadian Olympic Foundation, a charitable partnership between the Canadian Olympic Committee and Team Canada since 2007.
To date, more than nine million pairs of mittens have been sold, raising more than $33 million for the foundation, according to Hudson’s Bay reports.
““Being an Olympic athlete takes a tremendous amount of dedication, commitment and funding,” Namath says. “The money we raise helps to provide access to programs that support athlete development, coaching and equipment.”
Throughout the past decade, Namath says, the recognizable red mittens have not only helped current Canadian athletes, but also “next generation” hopefuls on their own Olympic journeys. The initiative has proved beneficial for athletes, and a broader collective of Canadians, alike, she says.
“The athletes become role models, fuel the national pride Canadians are so fondly known for, and inspire us all,” she says.
“Wearing the mittens has become a way to feel connected with fellow Canadians and to cheer as one country together.”
Hudson’s Bay anniversary mittens.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games (and the 11th anniversary of the mittens, which were initially released in 2009 as a precursor to the Olympic memorabilia), Hudson’s Bay has released a new limited-edition commemorative mitten.
The design sees the mitten go from red to black. The iconic inukshuk silhouette is added to the front of the design, with the Olympic rings. The mitten palms are adorned with two small maple leafs, each one a fuzzy red trimmed with white.
While there likely won’t be as mad a rush to procure a pair of the heritage mittens during the anniversary year as there was initially in 2010, the draw of buying into the memories of such a momentous time in the city’s history is sure to entice a few Team Canada fans.
And lending a hand to an Olympic hopeful? Well, that can leave one feeling pretty warm and fuzzy, too.
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