A pair of Langley brothers want Canadians to Goat For Gold during the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Joel and Danny Nagtegaal have launched an innovative campaign that combines patriotism and philanthropy, encouraging Canadians to buy a goat for a needy African family for each Gold Medal we win in the Games.

The charity is a spinoff of Goat Canucks Goat, which Joel started last spring to buy a goat for each playoff game the Canucks won.

“We were joking (that) if you combine two things that Canadians really love: Hockey and helping people out, (people) really like that,” said Joel, 24, a student at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Their goal was 16 goats, but they wound up with 1,073.

“That was ridiculous,” Joel said. “So if the whole country is on board, there’ll be tons of goats … I don’t even think it will matter how many medals we win. People just want to help out.”

Goat For Gold has partnered with The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC), a Canadian-based relief fund that facilitates the donation of livestock and goods to needy nations.

Goats are inexpensive to keep and are a source of much-needed milk and meat.

“Contrary to common belief, (they) are good for more than eating anything in sight and ramming small children at the local petting zoo,” said Danny Nagtegaal.

He said the project has turned into “an amazing demonstration of the generosity of people” and confirmed the notion that one person and one idea can indeed make a difference.

“After the success of Goat Canucks Goat, it is exciting to think how many goats could be raised with the entire country on board.”

Correction - January 8, 2010, 6:54 a.m. PST: A previous version of this story contained incorrect information in the photo caption. Fred Witteveen, CRWRC Kenya Country Consultant, and Vanessa Heyns from the Kenya High Commission, are pictured second and third from left, not Pete and Ila Diepersloot.