Green Shirt Day
Ambassador Tool Kit
Welcome
Thank you for choosing to be an Ambassador for Green Shirt Day – April 7, 2023. This event centres around the organ donations of Humboldt Broncos Defenceman Logan Boulet, following his tragic passing the day after the Broncos horrific bus crash. Logan’s story began with his decision to register as an organ donor, his family’s commitment to honour his wishes, and the massive wave of donor registrations across Canada that followed his example. This phenomenal wave of support, known as The Logan Boulet Effect, continues Logan’s story. Our hope is that the positive increase in organ donation, experienced through the Logan Boulet Effect, plus your involvement as an Ambassador, will continue to bring awareness to transplantation, encourage donor registration and empower families to have the important life saving conversation. Together we can save lives.
Ambassadors are the difference makers. As an ambassador, you can spread the message with public declarations, school activities, business events, and even lighting up your community green on April 7, 2023. Approach sport teams, clubs, churches, and businesses. Encourage your community to “go green”. Together we will make a difference.
Green Shirt Day is …
information
that can save lives.
a commitment
to make a difference.
a reminder
that the act of donating
is a gift of life.
a celebration
of the power of giving …
a day to be
TOGETHER STRONG.
Gather family and friends to create a committee to help you spread the word in your community. Together, design an event or symbol that will encourage others to give the gift of life. Please find attached, a toolkit with ideas to help bring Green Shirt Day to the attention of your community. We hope you find the contents will help spread the message…
Register · Tell Your Family · Be Inspired
Our goal is to increase awareness, donor registrations, and conversations about organ donation.
Thank you for choosing this important work.
LIGHT UP GREEN
Landmarks
Getting a local landmark lit green in honour of Green Shirt Day is a great way to get the conversation started on the importance of registering as an organ donor. Lighting up green:
- Helps your city/town/village/county to show support for the cause
- Creates a newsworthy, local story for your local news outlets
- Can provide a place to meet others in your local community on the day of the lighting
Here’s how to get started:
Step 1 – Identify Your Landmarks
Landmarks can be both private and public.
Public Landmarks – To identify public landmarks that can be lit check your local government website. Many City Halls can be lit up different colours to recognize specific causes. In the search bar of the site, try “Illuminate City Hall”. If there is more than one public landmark available to be lit, it will normally be included as part of the search response. If your web search is unsuccessful, check the “Contact Us” section of the website for the number to call to get this information.
Private Landmarks – Many locations across Canada have a variety of privately owned landmarks that you can request be lit up. The best way to identify these in your area is to do a web search using the phrase “Illuminate landmark (enter city name).
Step 2 – Submit Your Request
Many landmarks, whether public or private, have an online submission process which generally requires the following information:
Event name: Green Shirt Day
Organization Name: Canadian Transplant Association
Contact Info: Use your own contact information
Time Frame: One day – April 7, 2023
Event Description: On April 6, 2018, Canadians were heartbroken to hear the news of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. Of the 29 passengers, sixteen lost their lives and thirteen will bear physical and emotional scars for life.
On April 7, 2018, Humboldt Broncos defenceman Logan Boulet, succumbed to his injuries. His parents, Bernadine and Toby Boulet honoured his decision to donate his organs so that six lives could live on. Logan had recently told his parents he was registering as an organ donor and that he was inspired by his coach and mentor Ric Suggitt. Ric passed on June 27th, 2017 and was also an organ donor and saved six lives.
As news spread of the organ donation by this young hockey player, it is estimated that almost 150,000 people registered to become organ donors in the days and weeks that followed. To date, this is the largest number of Canadians registering to become organ donors in Canadian history due to one event – one person.
Green Shirt Day was created to honour, remember, and recognize all the victims and families of that fatal crash and to continue Logan’s legacy by inspiring Canadians to talk to their families and register as organ donors.
Written submission – If the request requires a written submission, suggested wording can be found in Appendix 1.
Step 3 – Allow Enough Time
To increase the likelihood that the requested date for the landmark to be lit has not been taken, get your request in as soon as possible.
Step 4 – Make An Event Out Of It
To increase the impact of the lighting of the landmark, consider arranging for a group of family and friends to meet in front of the landmark wearing their Green Shirt Day shirts or green shirts, and take pictures and post on social media using #GreenShirtDay and #LoganBouletEffect.
Consider sending in a story to your local media that the landmark will be lit green and include any additional information such as whether an outdoor gathering will be happening and what your connection you might have to the transplant community. See section on Media Tips located in this toolkit for more information
Step 5 – Update the List
We want to let everyone know how successful we are with getting landmarks lit across Canada. To do this, we need to know when a request has been approved. Once you’ve been notified that your request has been approved, please email us at lightupgreen@greenshirtday.ca and include a photo of the landmark, if possible.
Light Up Your Neighbourhood
Getting a local landmark is a wonderful way to bring attention to Green Shirt Day but making a difference in your own neighbourhood is just as powerful. We are encouraging Ambassadors to light up their homes, whether it is switching out your white porch light for a green one or putting up a string of green lights on your apartment balcony (maybe some green ones left over from Christmas). Every single one lights up the message of the power of organ donation. No green lights hanging around – how about this simple craft to create a lantern that is fun for kids and adults alike – check out this YouTube video for – How to Make an Easy Paper Lantern. Use with a flameless candle, and you have a fun and simple way to recognize Green Shirt Day!
Harness the power of social media and share your ideas with friends, family, and neighbours. Consider contacting your child’s school and suggesting this craft as a way for the school to honour Green Shirt Day and raise awareness.
PROCLAMATION REQUEST
A proclamation is an official designation of an event by a government. Proclamations are a great way to educate the public about a specific issue and bring attention to a cause.
Step 1 – Making Contact
Proclamations can be issued at any level of Government. We are requesting our ambassadors reach out to their local government which may be a city, town, village, municipality, or a township/county. The proclamation process varies depending on the local government. Larger cities generally have an online application whereas smaller ones may require a written submission.
Your starting point will be to navigate to your local government website. Once there, enter ‘Proclamation or Declaration process” into the search function. This will generally provide you with the link to the information you need. Alternatively, if you cannot find the information on the website, a call to the city, municipal or township hall will point you in the right direction.
The following are examples of some of the direct links for requesting a proclamation:
Request a Proclamation Calgary, Request a Proclamation Vancouver, Request a Proclamation St.John’s NB, Request a Proclamation Regina,
Step 2 – Submit Your Request
If your request requires a written submission, use the wording found in Appendix 1. If the request can be made online, the following information is generally required:
Event name: Green Shirt Day
Organization Name: Canadian Transplant Association
Contact Info: Use your own contact information
Time Frame: One day – April 7, 2023
Event Description: On April 6, 2018, Canadians were heartbroken to hear the news of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. Of the 29 passengers, sixteen lost their lives and thirteen will all bear physical and emotional scars for life.
On April 7, 2018, Humboldt Broncos defenceman Logan Boulet, succumbed to his injuries. His parents, Bernadine and Toby Boulet honoured Logan’s decision to donate his organs so that six lives could live on. Logan had recently told his parents he was registering as an organ donor and that he was inspired by his coach and mentor Ric Suggitt. Ric passed on June 27th, 2017 and was also an organ donor and saved six lives.
As news spread of the organ donation by this young hockey player, it is estimated that almost 150,000 people registered to become organ donors in the days and weeks that followed. To date, this is the largest number of Canadians registering to become organ donors in Canadian history due to one event – one person
Green Shirt Day was created to honour, remember, and recognize all the victims and families of that fatal crash and to continue Logan’s legacy by inspiring Canadians to talk to their families and register as organ donors.
Personalize the request as much as possible by providing your reasons for being passionate about organ and tissue donation. Are you a recipient, a family member of a recipient?
Proclamation/Declaration Wording: Whether your request is made in writing or online you will be requested to provide wording for declaring April 7 – Green Shirt Day. See Sample Proclamation/Declaration – Appendix 2.
Step 3: Allow Enough Time
The wheels of government turn slowly, so the sooner the request is submitted the better. Timing is key if you want to have the proclamation announced at a city/town/county council meeting or at a particular event. Do not hesitate to follow up to check the status of your proclamation request and upon doing so, offer to provide any additional information the official may need.
Step 4: Make an Event Out of It!
Enquire as to what options are available for having the proclamation announced. For example, at a city or townhall meeting and whether you can have attendees at the proclamation meeting or signing event. Share on social media tagging your city using #GreenShirtDay and #LoganBouletEffect. Notify your local paper or media outlets about the proclamation. Include in your article any connection you might have to the transplant community. See Media Tips located in this toolkit for additional information.
Step 5: Update the List
We want to let everyone know how well we are doing with our Proclamation requests, so please email us at proclamations@greenshirtday.ca if your request is approved. Include a photo of the Proclamation, if possible.
MEDIA TIPS
Media coverage of Green Shirt Day and the personal impacts of organ donation and transplant on individuals help increase awareness of organ donation and inspire people to register as organ donors.
Reaching out:
An interview with a personal story about transplant or donation helps convey the power of organ donation. If you have a story you’re willing to share publicly, you can contact local media directly, such as community newspapers, radio or tv news shows.
Contact information is usually listed on the media outlet’s website, or on the reporter’s social media channels.
- If you have time to do so, reach out to media at least a couple of weeks before April 7, so they have time to research and produce their story.
- Let them know about Green Shirt Day, its meaning and significance
- Have a hook: let them know about a local organ donation story. Share your own story if you have a personal connection to donation or transplant, e.g. you or a loved one received a transplant or donated their loved one’s organs etc.
- You may get even more interest if you can include compelling visuals – through an event or with a green light display, for example
Use the link to direct local media to the official Green Shirt Day 2023 Media Toolkit: https://greenshirtday.ca/wp-content/uploads/green-shirt-day-2023-media-toolkit.pdf
Speaking to the media:
- Think ahead about how to tell your own personal story of donation and/or transplant, and why Green Shirt Day is so important to you.
- Keep it simple. Focus on the main parts of your donation/transplant journey.
- Speak conversationally.
- Think about the main one or two points you want to get across – and be able to convey those in 1 – 3 sentences (see suggested key messages below)
- If you have been approached by media, ask for questions ahead of time. Reports are often okay with that, especially for this kind of story.
- If you don’t have their questions, think about how you’d explain what it is, why people should care and what you want them to do.
- If you don’t know the answer, “I don’t know” is always the best answer.
- Relax and have fun! For stories like this, the reporter will do what they can to make you sound good!
Key Messages
These are some suggested key messages that support the goal of Green Shirt Day and organ donation awareness:
- It takes just a couple minutes to register as an organ donor, and this simple action has the potential to save lives.
- Find out how to register as an organ donor at GreenShirtDay.ca (or find out the specific provincial website where people can register and share that)
- Have a conversation with your family and loved ones about your decision.
- Show your support for organ donation by wearing green or a hockey jersey on April 7 – Green Shirt Day.
EVENT SUGGESTIONS
Use this link to direct local teams, clubs, organizations, and businesses to the official Green Shirt Day 2023 school, club, community, and business Toolkits: https://greenshirtday.ca/be-inspired/
Ideas for events to recognize Green Shirt Day and honouring the gift of life are limited only by your imagination. Here are some suggestions:
- Do you have a son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild…who is part of a hockey team? Think about approaching their coach and asking them to consider wrapping green tape around their hockey sticks for a game or practice on or before April 7.
- Approach your local Ice cream shop to offer a green milkshake on April 7th or your local donut shop to offer a cookie/donut with green icing for April 7th.
- Encourage transplant recipients/donors/Angel donor families who have a connection to a school in their community to give a talk to a classroom, at a school assembly, or to the staff at a staff meeting to share their story and perhaps introduce them to the Canadian Blood Services’ new Education Portal Homepage | Organ Tissue Education (organtissuedonation.ca) or to the Green Shirt Day Ambassador Toolkit.
- Speak from your perspective of a transplant donor/recipient/Angel donor family to a local service group (Lions Club, Rotary Club, Kiwanis, etc.) to encourage them to light up their porch or a monument in your community for Green Shirt Day. Introduce them to the Green Shirt Day Ambassador Toolkit.
- Please use the link to gather background information and K-12 classroom ideas to share with your local school. Green Shirt Day – School events and activities | Organ Tissue Education (organtissuedonation.ca)
- Order the Official Green Shirt Day shirt or Hockey Jersey online https://greenshirtday2023.ourproshop.ca/
Whatever event you hold, we encourage you to take plenty of photos and post them on social media using #GreenShirtDay #LoganBouletEffect @greenshirtday
La Journée chandail vert Trousse d’information de l’ambassadeur
Green Shirt Day Ambassador Tool Kit
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