CFL fans celebrate Hamilton Labour Day Classic tradition beyond the final score

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Canadian Football League (CFL) fans, as the annual Labour Day Classic took over the City of Hamilton.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts renewed their long-standing rivalry on the field, but the competition started long before kickoff.

Fans from both sides fired up the grills, broke out the team colours and got the tailgate going.

Unfortunately it was a tough go for the home team, with the Ticats losing to the Argos 37-22, but the fans at the game say the day was about more than just the final score.

WATCH MORE: Ticats tailgate party starts early ahead of Labour Day Classic in Hamilton

Some fans told CHCH News that the Labour Day Classic is a special day for them, with families returning each year — one even for the last 30 years.

For some, the tailgate marks more than just a big game.

Each year, people across Canada fundraise in support of CFL Fight Cancer and the Labour Day 65K challenge sees CFL lovers walk from Toronto all the way to Hamilton in time for Monday’s game.

“Over the years, we’ve built this thing up so that now we’re raising $80,000 a year for benefitting Cancer Society in the host city of the Grey Cup, which is Calgary this year,” said Dallas Bergen, who is raising money for the CFL Fans Fight Cancer fundraiser. “But I love coming into Hamilton with this great, you know, CFL community here at the tailgate.”

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