CALGARY -- The country went green Tuesday, as Canadians remembered the victims and families of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, and continued Logan Boulet’s legacy, by inspiring others to register as organ donors.
“It’s not about making money,” said Logan’s father Toby, “It’s about increasing organ donations online, getting people to register, getting people to be inspired.”
Last year, many communities marked Green Shirt Day with public events, and more were planned this year. But those plans changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had our family skate planned,” said Toby “and in Ottawa there was a huge Rideau Canal skate. All those things were going, but now we can’t.”
Boulet added that a decision was made several weeks ago to change the focus to a social media campaign. “Last year it kind of turned into that anyway," he said.
The Boulets understand the impact this one day can have. In just two years, over 300,000 Canadians have been inspired to register as an organ donor. Boulet said the campaign is reaching all corners of the world. “A gentleman from Switzerland sent me a message that he registered online, and his children all registered.”
In Lethbridge, several schools posted pictures or videos of staff and families at home, wearing green shirts. The Lethbridge Police tweeted pictures of officers wearing green shirts, or green sweatshirts under their uniforms.
Six provinces currently have online registration, and Alberta and Saskatchewan are in the process of making changes to streamline their organ donation registration process and bring it online.
Boulet said people need to register because they want to, not because the government tells them to, “Do the right thing, be inspired, tell your family what you are doing, and register.”
The Canadian Transplant Association has set up a website dedicated to Green Shirt Day, and informing people how they can register as an organ donor. Link to site: greenshirtday.ca
