CFL partners with Telus to build a Fan Cup out of pennies and support a good cause along the way

Always wanted to get your name inside the Canadian Football Hall of Fame? Well, there's now an opportunity to do so for those who aren't renowned players, builders or media members. The CFL's teamed up with Telus to create a new trophy known as the Fan Cup, a copper Grey Cup replica that will be created from Canadian pennies pressed by fans at Grey Cup Tour stops. The cup will then be etched with the names of fans and put on display in the Hall of Fame. Sure, it's gimmicky, but it's not a bad gimmick; this league's survived and thrived thanks to the loyal support of fans, so recognizing them isn't a bad move, doing so with the soon-to-be-extinct penny is a neat touch, and what really sells this is that Telus will donate up to $50,000 to KidSport Canada as part of this agreement. Honouring fans' role in the CFL while providing funds to help in-need kids play organized sports seems like a pretty solid approach.

The penny press used for the Fan Cup will be first seen Saturday in Vancouver ahead of the B.C. Lions' game against the Montreal Alouettes. CFL commissioner Mark Cohon will be on hand, as will Hall of Famer and Lions' legend Lui Passaglia and representatives from Telus and KidSport. The official unveiling takes place at 11 a.m. in Terry Fox Plaza, just outside B.C. Place. After that, the press will be seen at many of the Grey Cup Tour stops across the country. For those who can't make it out to that, though, there's still a way to get involved; fans can visit the Telus Fan Cup site and take part virtually. Telus is going to donate $1 to KidSport for each penny pressed (in-person or virtually) and another $1 if fans discuss their Fan Cup experience on Twitter or Facebook, up to a maximum of $50,000. That can do a lot to help with sporting registration fees and equipment for underprivileged kids across Canada.

This is just part of the extensive 100th Grey Cup celebrations the CFL's doing this year, which include the touring train, commemorative stamps and coins and much more, but it's an interesting part. For one thing, it's nice to see the league continuing to make efforts to recognize its fans; it's really fans' fervent support that's kept this league alive through the (many) turbulent times, and the long tradition of fans from across the country getting together for a party each fall is what's made the Grey Cup so unique. This is also a neat way to do something to commemorate the penny, another Canadian icon, but one that won't be around for too much longer; using it as a building material for a replica Grey Cup to honour fans seems pretty apt. What really sells this is the money going to Kidsport, though; that could be crucial to developing members of the next generation of Canadian football talent. A recurring and improving crop of Canadian talent and the continued passionate support of the CFL's fans will be essential if the league and the Grey Cup are going to be a strong part of Canada for decades to come, not just artifacts of the past like the penny.