New Shirt Design 2023
2023 Green Shirt Day 5-Year Design: Inspired by Sidney Crosby & Logan Boulet's organ donation legacy, featuring 29 gold stars for the Humboldt Broncos.
Update: Visit here to Learn About the 2024 Design.
The 2023 Green Shirt Day 5-year design was inspired by the Pittsburgh Penguins logo and their Captain, Sidney Crosby who Logan loved and cheered for since he was a young boy, wearing his favourite “Sidney Cowsby” t-shirt until he outgrew it. The design includes the hashtag #LoganBouletEffect, which is the effect that began when news that Logan’s parents had decided to donate his organs and inspired 150,000 Canadians to register as organ donors. The design also includes 29 gold stars, 16 for each of those who lost their lives and 13 for those whose lives were forever changed when the Humboldt Bronco Bus crashed on April 6, 2018.
The 5-Year design was created by Brandy Hehn, a two-time organ transplant recipient having received her liver in 2009 from a deceased donor in Alberta and her kidney from a deceased Saskatchewan donor, in 2020. Brandy has been a long supporter of Green Shirt Day and an advocate for organ donation awareness since she heard of Logan’s decision to become an organ donor after being inspired by his rugby coach Ric Suggitt, who was an organ donor at the time of his passing.
For Brandy, who currently works as the Director of Brand & Creative at Haztech, the time given back to her by receiving the gift of life, twice, has been immeasurable. She uses the time and her technical skills as a multimedia designer to work with initiatives like organ donation awareness. Brandy was on dialysis waiting for a kidney transplant when the news of the Humboldt Broncos crash hit while they were en route to one of their playoff games in Nipawin, SK where Brandy was also born. At the time, Brandy was working at REAL District, where the SJHL and WHL games are held in Regina. She recalls the morning walking into The Co-operator’s Centre, where she joined her team in setting up a memorial table for the community to come and show support. Working as the marketing team’s Creative Director, one of Brandy’s tasks was compiling a photograph of all those on the bus. Brandy said “It was definitely hard to look at all the faces in the photo and add those who weren’t in it. And then learning which of those did or did not make it. It was something that never occurred to me that I’d have to encounter as a Graphic Designer.” The days following, Brandy heard from numerous friends, family, and nurses that one of the young men, Logan Boulet, was an organ donor. “Everyone was really moved to hear that someone so young, had told his parents that he wanted to be an organ donor. It personally gave me so much hope because up until that point, no one had really talked about organ donation. I get teared up every time I hear or read Toby, Bernie, and Mariko talk about the day of the crash and them losing their son and brother. The pain is palpable, and while I know the feeling of pure euphoria from getting a life donated to me, I can tell you it doesn’t come too close to hearing the pain when they talk about Logan.” Logan went on to save 6 lives on April 7th, a day after the crash.
Brandy said, that while the shirt design was created for Green Shirt Day to honour the Boulet’s and what they continue to do for Organ Donation Awareness, it was important to bring it back to the beginning of how the day came to be.
“Every passenger on the Broncos’ bus touched many lives of course within their own family and friends but also in the hockey and prairie sports community. Whether you grew up on the ice or were there supporting a family member, or your friend’s family. We all remember the smell and the cool air when you walked into a hockey rink. It hit hard for a lot of Canadians, especially those who know the prairie hockey life and the bus rides that go with it. My hope is that people will see this design, wear the shirt and spread awareness about Green Shirt Day and the #LoganBouletEffect and what the Boulet’s continue to do for all of us needing an organ transplant.
To order the New Shirt Design and other merchandise, please visit the Green Shirt Day store.
