TORONTO, Aug. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Rogers Communications announced the launch of a new commemorative t-shirt for the 2021 Orange Shirt Day campaign in support of Indigenous communities across the country. Over the past year, the Orange Shirt Day campaign has raised $100,000 for the Orange Shirt Society, a non-profit organization devoted to providing educational toolkits to schools to support teaching the history of residential schools.

Starting today, Rogers will make the new 2021 Orange Shirts available on TSC, with all proceeds being divided equally between the Orange Shirt Society and the Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS), a British Columbia based organization providing essential services to Residential School Survivors, their families, and those dealing with intergenerational trauma. In addition to the net sales of the orange shirts, earlier this year Rogers donated $50,000 to the IRSSS to continue supporting those healing from the trauma left behind by the residential school system.

“Since our conception, our goal has always been to provide physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual growth, development, and healing through culturally based values and guiding principles for Survivors, Families, and Communities,” said Bruce Allen, IRSSS Resolution Health and Support Worker. "Supporting and listening to our residential school survivors is a vital part of our pursuit of Truth and Reconciliation in this country, and we applaud Rogers for coming forward to support us through this campaign."

This year’s specially commissioned t-shirts were designed by Patrick Hunter, a two-spirited Ojibway artist, graphic designer, and entrepreneur from Red Lake, Ontario. Hunter has added to the original shirt design, including a new shoulder patch depicting two children’s moccasins to commemorate the thousands of children lost to the residential school system. Hunter drew inspiration from the quote “they thought they buried us, but they didn’t know we were seeds” and shared, “I took my nephew’s moccasins I gifted him when he was born, and I thought about what it would feel like if he was taken away. What I want people to think about is what they would do if the government decided one day that they wanted to take your children away – but not just yours, your entire community’s.”  

In the beginning of the 19^th century more than 150,000 Indigenous youth were sent away from their homes and placed into the residential school system in Canada. With the last residential school closing in 1996, the history and trauma left by the residential school system is still very much a reality, as survivors and their families continue their healing to this day. Both the Orange Shirt Society and the IRSSS, have made it their mandate to provide support and drive awareness around the unjust acts imposed against Indigenous communities in Canada, with the goal of moving towards truth and reconciliation.

Canadians can support the Orange Shirt Society’s educational programming, and Residential School Survivors through the IRSSS, by purchasing a Rogers-commissioned t-shirt, now through to Orange Shirt Day (September 30) at tsc.ca/wewearorange.

For more on Rogers’ support for Indigenous communities visit about.rogers.com. 

About Rogers 
Rogers is a proud Canadian company dedicated to making more possible for Canadians each and every day. Our founder, Ted Rogers, purchased his first radio station, CHFI, in 1960. We have grown to become a leading technology and media company that strives to provide the very best in wireless, residential, sports, and media to Canadians and Canadian businesses. Our shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). If you want to find out more about us, visit about.rogers.com. 

Media Contacts 
Rogers – [email protected]  1-844-226-1338