Chris Tymofichuk raised over $20,000 for cancer research during his recent bid to set a new Guinness World Record for fastest time to attend a CFL game in all nine stadiums.
“That number has blown away expectations,” Tymofichuk told 3DownNation via telephone. “I’m just completely taken aback by the support of CFL fans. This was done with no corporate sponsorship, this was fans pulling money out of their wallets and purses and putting it in the bucket. It really says a lot about Canadian Football League fans. I don’t think there’s any other fandom for any other league like we have right here.”
The 51-year-old’s online donation page displays a target of $40,000, though he explained that wasn’t the goal for his cross-country trip but a year-long objective set by CFL Fans Fight Cancer, a group he’s been around for the past five years. The organization, which isn’t formally affiliated with the league, hosts a fundraiser at Grey Cup each year that draws strong crowds despite not being an officially sanctioned festival event.
The group raised just over $40,000 last year in Hamilton and, with Tymofichuk’s trip providing such a strong start for 2024, there are discussions about raising this year’s goal to $50,000. Each year, all funds raised are given to an organization located in or around the Grey Cup’s host city. All proceeds this year are going to the Michael Cuccione Foundation, a childhood cancer research venture based in Port Moody, B.C.
Tymofichuk indicated that he collected approximately $7,000 in person at CFL games, while another $13,000 in donations were made online in support of his trip. The rest of the money the organization has raised so far this year was done so at unrelated events, though a fellow member of the organization disputed this figure in a note to 3DownNation, believing previous events accounted for a higher percentage of the group’s overall fundraising efforts this year.
It will take time for Tymofichuk’s record to become official, though he’s confident he’s done enough to prove his case to the global records giant, which was founded by Sir Hugh Beaver in London in 1954.
“I think I’ve got all the evidence that’s required — the eyewitness statements, the GPS tracking, the video evidence, the media reports,” he said. “It’s 12 to 13 weeks after submission that they need to verify everything. I’m quite confident that at some point we will see the official certificate and whether it stands for a day, a week, a month is really beside the point. We managed to do it and raised some money alongside it that will benefit kids and the legacy of that carries on in the future.”
The CFL superfan only feared for his record attempt once as traffic in Montreal on July 25 was much slower than anticipated. According to the requirements from Guinness, Tymofichuk had to be in view of the opening kickoff and stay until the final whistle in order to have officially attended each game. He ended up reaching the gate at Percival Molson Stadium with only 15 minutes to spare, cutting it too close for comfort.
“There was a point when I was stuck in Montreal not moving with a little over an hour to go when I thought, ‘This attempt is over, there’s just no way I’m gonna make it,'” he said. “Through good luck or good karma, whatever, traffic started moving and things opened up and flowed into downtown. We quickly parked and put in a quick jog a couple of blocks to the stadium where a friend had the ticket waiting at the gate.”
“It certainly adds to the story and the excitement, but I don’t wish it upon anybody that attempts to do this in the future.”
The Winnipeg native, who now resides in Ottawa, originally budgeted $2,000 for the trip, though he ended up spending over $3,000. The venture was fully self-funded, though costs were mitigated by fans across the country offering him overnight accommodations, meals, rides, and game tickets.
By far the largest expense was airfare as the trip required seven flights. He used a two-day stop in Edmonton after the Redblacks-Elks game on July 14 to visit Jasper, not knowing the quaint mountain town would be devastated by wildfires a little over a week later.
The 51-year-old had previously attended games at all nine CFL stadiums, so there were no surprises regarding the league’s various venues. He cited Regina and Winnipeg as having the best overall game-day experiences, though he was highly complimentary of the tailgates in Hamilton and Edmonton, the pregame festivities in Vancouver, and the atmospheres in Montreal and Ottawa. He didn’t mince words regarding which facility is most in need of replacement.
“Calgary needs a new stadium,” he said plainly. “It’s just beyond its years.”
This year’s CFL Fans Fight Cancer Grey Cup event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Shark Club Sports Bar & Grill in downtown Vancouver. You can donate by clicking here.
