‘Fiddle Edd’ Helping To Raise Money For Aquatic Centre

If you were around for the 1985 Canada Summer Games in Saint John, you likely remember the mascot Fiddle Edd.

The local legend is being brought back to life to help raise money for the Canada Games Aquatic Centre.

Local company Anonymous Threads sells a variety of Fiddle Edd merchandise, including T-shirts, hats and hoodies.

The company is donating 50 per cent of proceeds from Fiddle Edd merch sold in May and June to the aquatic centre.

“It’s been a blast bringing back the iconic Saint John Canada Games mascot — Fiddle Edd. We are thrilled to partner with the Canada Games Aquatic Centre to share Fiddle Edd apparel with Johners near and far,” Beth Shaw, co-owner of Anonymous Threads, said in a news release.

The fundraiser comes at a time when the aquatic centre has been dealing with a series of financial challenges.

Earlier this year, the City of Saint John approved $250,000 in COVID-19 relief funding for the facility.

The funding was conditional on the aquatic centre commission requesting all members of the Regional Facilities Commission contribute their share of the funding.

“We feel fortunate to be able to partner with Anonymous Threads for this fun campaign,” said Amy McLennan, general manager of the aquatic centre.

As a registered charity, the Canada Games Aquatic Centre team is always looking for innovative ways to raise funds. We love our nostalgic mascot and are excited for the community to join the party this Fiddle Edd season.”

The aquatic centre is also encouraging people to keep an eye out in uptown Saint John this month as many businesses will be proudly displaying a Fiddle Edd decal on their windows in May.

The decals encourage passersby to take a selfie to share on social media using #FiddleEddSelfie.