The Calgary Stampeders won their first Grey Cup in 1948, but it was an enthusiastic band of Calgary fans who really left an impact on the game. A trainload of Calgarians invaded Toronto that year and created a festival atmosphere around the football final. They flipped flapjacks on the steps of City Hall, rode horses through the prestigious Royal York Hotel, led impromptu parades and dances and ig
nited an excitement never before seen at Grey Cup. This group, who single-handedly changed the Grey Cup from a football game into a national festival, became the Calgary Grey Cup Committee (CGCC). Since that famous train ride, the CGCC has been going to the host Grey Cup city every year promoting the City of Calgary, the Calgary Stampede and western hospitality. Today’s CGCC consists of over 75 volunteers who “invade” the host city every year. The Committee work tirelessly for 12 months planning logistics and events. In addition to the volunteers, who pay their own way, the CGCC is joined by a 4 piece western band, a mascot (Charlie Horse), the Calgary Stampede Queen, her two Princesses and the Stampede Indian Princess. In addition, they load a dozen stoves, a chuckwagon, over 500 pounds of pancake batter, 5000 cardboard cowboy hats (and 2 dozen real ones for VIPs), over 5000 pins, 500 mini footballs and promotion material onto the Stampedes’ mobile stage and transport all of
this to the host city for their events at Grey Cup.
