December 30, 2009 – Who would have thought that one of the best selling items this Christmas would be a pair of red mittens? But the truth is, a pair of red mittens is a hit in Canada with the Vancouver 2010 Games set to begin in just 44 days. These knitted mittens have a white Maple Leaf in the heart of each palm and the Olympic Rings and Vancouver 2010 on the outside.

They match those that are worn by the 12,000 torchbearers who are carrying the Olympic flame in the torch relay since October 30, 2009. Launched by VANOC, the organizing committee for the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, this fall, a million pairs of red mittens have already been sold by mid-December.

Those who tried to buy the red mittens to give as gifts this holiday season had a hard time getting their hands on them. But apparently, several hundred thousand more pairs are being made available in the period leading up to the start of the Olympics on February 12.

The knit Red Mittens — with their soft fleece lining and white maple leaf on the palm — are $10 (plus taxes) with all net proceeds going toward supporting Canadian athletes. Manufactured by the Hudson’s Bay Company, Red Mittens are sold through the Bay, Zellers and Home Outfitters. They’ll also be available at Olympic Stores, The Olympic Store at vancouver2010.com, and in select areas along the Torch Relay Route.

The proceeds from the mittens go to support a program known as ‘Own The Podium‘ which is a five-year program designed to fund world class training and equipment for Canadian athletes. For more information, check out this Red Mittens video clip on the Vancouver 2010 website here.