Just Jeffs: Kitchener, Ont. gathering for men who share the same name
A special gathering was held in Kitchener, Ont. on Wednesday afternoon -- but there was one catch.
Your name had to be Jeff.
A call went out to anyone with the moniker to meet up at the Arabella Park Beer Bar for a “Just Jeff Event.”
The group even printed out nametags, but that might have been a bit redundant given the nature of the meetup.
In order not to be too exclusive they also allowed people with the surname Jefferies or Jeffrey to join in on the fun.
The organizers said they just want to celebrate “being Jeff.”
Despite the fact there are four Jeffs working at CTV News Kitchener, we sent out multimedia journalist Karis Mapp to check it out. The group welcomed her as an honorary Jeff.
“If your first or last name is Jeff, if your middle name is Jeff, everyone is welcome,” said Jeff Horst. “[It’s] just a bunch of good guys getting together and we all happen to be Jeffs.”
'Just Jeff' event in Kitchener, Ont. (Karis Mapp/CTV News Kitchener)
The Just Jeffs Event is in its second year. During its first iteration, only a few Jeffs turned out.
“It was really just an excuse to have a beer,” Horst said. “Get together with some good people and it’s really growing.”
More than a dozen were at Wednesday’s meetup.
“I was not intended to be a Jeff. My parents wanted to call me Michael. But I had a cousin that was born a month before me and he stole that name. I actually feel very fortunate because I identify as a Jeff, and I really feel like this was the right name for me,” Horst said, as his fellow Jeffs cheered on the sentiment.
Each one donated $20 to the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
“They’re in desperate need and we’re just happy to give a little help,” Horst explained.
So are plans in the works for another “Just Jeff” event next year?
“We’re kind of fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants guys. We’re not very organized. That’s kind of a Jeff trait,” said Horst.
Mapp also asked if Horst had a message for the other CTV Kitchener Jeffs who missed out on the gathering.
“We could use more Jeffs,” he said. “I think next year they gotta come out.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The World Health Organization said on Friday that the current overall public health risk posed by H5N1 bird flu virus is low, but for those with exposure to infected birds or animals the risk of infection is considered low-to-moderate.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.