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.”