Hundreds of hockey fans filled the area around Tim Hortons on First Street in Collingwood on Wednesday in hopes of getting an autograph from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

Gretzky, who was in the area promoting his golf tournament the Wayne Gretzky Celebrity Classic, which will be held at the Georgian Bay Club in Thornbury later this month, appeared as part of the Camp Day celebration.

Camp Day is an annual event where the proceeds from coffee sales at Tim Hortons locations across Canada go to the Tim Horton's Children's Foundation, which sends kids from across the country to four summer camps.

Locations in Wasaga Beach, Collingwood and Stayner participated in the event and local residents volunteered to serve coffee and sell hot dogs and hamburgers for the cause.

This year, about 12 youngsters from Wasaga Beach, Collingwood and Stayner will be attending one of the camps. In 2007, the event raised more than $8 million nationwide.

Collingwood owner Jan Trude made contact with Gretzky's executive assistant and was excited to find out he was going to be in the area on the same day.

Hundreds of people waited several hours for Gretzky to arrive.

Nick King and Cameron MacDonald were waiting from 9 a.m. to meet the National Hockey League's all-time leading scorer.

MacDonald had a host of hockey cards and two sticks he hoped to get signed.

"It's worth it. He's Gretzky, he's the greatest ever," MacDonald said.

His mother Tanya called his school and made sure he had the day off. When asked why she did so she replied: "I'm a cool mom. And, because it's Gretzky."

Jill Calvert was sporting a Wayne Gretzky jersey and was waiting about two hours before the hall-of-famer arrived.

"I am a huge Gretzky fan," she said. "I screamed when I found out he was coming."

A group of youngsters, many of who weren't alive when Gretzky was in his prime, painted his trademark 99 on their faces in support of their hero.

Fans packed the Tim Horton's store in an effort to get a glimpse, get an autograph or a picture of Gretzky, who stayed about 20 minutes.

The coach of the Phoenix Coyotes arrived at about 2:30 p.m., after a press conference at the Georgian Bay Club in Thornbury.

Adam Smith made the drive from Barrie and waited two hours to get his team Canada jersey autographed by Gretzky.

Smith said his wife is pregnant and says the jersey is going to be a gift for his future son or daughter and says it was well worth the wait.

"I was a kid in the 80s and I always watched the games and he is the best there is," he said.

As Gretzky was set to leave, a crowd of people swarmed his vehicle in an attempt to get some last second autographs.