Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium will be pink and blue this Saturday.
“Brett Kissel, pink and EPS blue,” team spokesperson Allan Watt said. “That’s pretty good.”
The game was already set to tackle women’s cancers with special programming. However, in light of the attack at a traffic stop outside the arena during the last home game, the Eskimos will also honour the Edmonton Police Service.
Const. Mike Chernyk was on traffic control when he was hit by a car and then stabbed several times.
READ MORE: Police officer stabbed, people struck by U-Haul in Edmonton attack
The team says Chernyk will attend Saturday’s football game along with many of his EPS colleagues. The whole force has been invited to watch the match between the Esks and the Argonauts.
“We really wanted to acknowledge and salute EPS, specifically for the way they protected us all at our previous home game,” Watt said.
“The system they had was in place. It was really good. It’s robust and our fans need to know that.”
READ MORE: Police, city finalize review of Edmonton sports venues after attack
“We thought, why don’t we reach out to… the constable that was injured and to the tactical squad and to EPS in general and say, ‘Look, we’d love to have you come to a game.'”
Game tickets for EPS members are just $5 and all money raised will go back to the Edmonton Police Foundation.
“We all need to know that when you come to a stadium here, you’re being taken care of for many, many blocks away before you get here and many, many blocks away from the stadium after you leave,” Watt said.
The team is still planning a specific way to honour Chernyk and the EPS tactical squad in a special pre-game salute.
In a news release Friday, the police foundation thanked the Eskimos for being “a true-blue friend.”
“Oct. 14 is the Edmonton Eskimos’ annual Pink Game and what do they choose to do? Add true-blue into the mix. For that we want to express our heartfelt gratitude and give the Esks and their fans a shout out for being true-blue friends to our police, foundation and community. Go Esks Go!”
Watch below: The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames prior to their opening game on Wednesday honoured Constable Michael Chernyk who was one of the victims in Saturday’s terror attacks.