Green Shirt Day returns for its sixth year in 2024. (Photo: LNN)

By Christian Oldale

Green Shirt Day initiative underway for 2024

Feb 21, 2024 | 3:12 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Green Shirt Day returns for its sixth year in 2024.

The Canada-wide event was created in the wake of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in Saskatchewan in 2018, and encourages people to become organ donors.

Logan Boulet, one of the sixteen people who died in the crash, had his organs donated following his death, and the donations saved the lives of six people. In turn, Canada saw the largest number of organ donor registrations in Canadian history, which has come to be called the Logan Boulet Effect.

Logan’s parents Toby and Bernadine Boulet were at Lethbridge City Hall on February 21, 2024 for the beginning of the sixth year of Green Shirt Day.

Bernadine spoke on how much support they have received over the last six years, “Its knowing the support of our family and friends is there and the community, and how many times we have walked down the street or been some place and someone tells us how thankful they are for our story.”

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She added, “At the beginning we really thought it was our story, and then we realized how much it has impacted so many people and how much it has impacted across Canada and the world, just to know that people are getting close to a donation because of other people registering.”

The logo on the green shirt for 2024 was designed by Dr. Hali Heavy Shield, a multidisciplinary artist and educator from the Blood Tribe. The shirt features a star which features deeper meaning in its design.

According to representatives from the Blood Tribe, the star’s yellow and green colours are representative of the Humboldt Broncos’ team colours, as well as organ donation. The eight points of the star embody key values of: kindness, humility, honesty, respect, healing, forgiveness, wisdom and love.

Banners for Green Shirt Day, showing the 2024 star logo. (Photo: LNN)

Dr. Heavy Shields said, “I’ve chosen the star, inspired by the star blanket gifted to the Boulet family by the Waywayseecappo First Nation in Manitoba. For Blackfoot people, star blankets represent comfort, healing and generosity, reflecting the impact of Logan’s story on the global community.”

For 2024, the goal of the initiative is to inspire 100,000 Canadians to register as organ donors, furthering Logan Boulet’s legacy.

Bernadine added, “Green Shirt Day is not just about Logan, it is also about those who choose to have the conversation and become a registered organ donor.”

Information about Green Shirt Day can be found on the initiative’s website. Those looking to get involved with organ donation can get information here.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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