Wednesday marks the third annual Green Shirt Day in Canada.
Born out of the Humboldt Broncos tragedy in 2018, the day encourages people across Canada to talk to their family about organ donation, register their wishes and remember those who have lost their lives and gave the gift of life.
Sixteen people were killed and 13 others were hurt when a semi-trailer truck ran a stop sign and drove into the path of the junior hockey team’s bus at a rural intersection near Tisdale, Sask.
Broncos player Logan Boulet died as a result of the crash, but the 21-year-old had previously told his family that he wanted to be an organ donor.
His heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and corneas saved or improved the lives of six people across Canada.
April 7 is now known as Green Shirt Day, a day dedicated to promoting organ donation awareness while honouring the “Logan Boulet effect.”
It is estimated that almost 150,000 Canadians registered as organ donors in the weeks following the Humboldt crash, and Green Shirt Day 2019 inspired another 100,000 or more to take action.
According to the Canadian Transplant Association, organ donor registration numbers were down about 39 per cent last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Together Strong” is the 2021 Green Shirt Day slogan, and Canadians are being encouraged to unite online, share their support for organ donation, share stories and bring green shirts to online platforms.
Canadians are encouraged to use the hashtags #GreenShirtDay #LoganBouletEffect #TogetherStrong in their posts to expand the reach of the initiative.
Find out about how you can participate at greenshirtday.ca/be-inspired.
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