Skip to content

Free Orange Shirt Day tees for first 10,000 fans at BC Lions game Sept. 27

'Paddling Together' theme at football game in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Kickoff is 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 for the BC Lions' annual Orange Shirt Day Game, played to honour Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a federal statutory holiday held on Sept. 30.

The Lions will host Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BC Place Stadium, where players will don special Orange Shirt Day warm-up jerseys to be raffled off in support of the Orange Shirt Society and Indian Residential Schools Survivors’ Society (IRSSS).

The first 10,000 fans through the gates will receive free orange T-shirts featuring artwork by Corrine Hunt and Tanner Timothy, from the Sliammon and We Wai Kai First Nations.

With a theme of "Paddling Together," the game will feature a halftime performance by Canadian electronic duo The Halluci Nation, while DJ Oshow and a handful of other Indigenous performers provide the pre-game entertainment.

Friday's game will also feature an Indigenous Marketplace, presented by Destination Indigenous, allowing vendors to promote and sell their products throughout the evening on the stadium concourse.

The Lions will also present a $20,000 cheque to the Orange Shirt Society and to host hundreds of Residential School survivors and their families.

The CFL football club announced 2024 Orange Shirt Day Game details at their Surrey practice facility on Thursday, Sept. 19, with support from FortisBC, Pomerleau Construction and Leavitt Machinery.

"We are truly honoured to host the Orange Shirt Day Game for the fourth consecutive year, demonstrating our commitment to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and standing alongside the entire Canadian Football League in recognizing this significant day," said Jamie Taras, the Lions' director of community partnerships.

“As an organization, we believe it is essential to deepen our understanding of the painful history and ongoing effects of residential schools, to raise awareness among our fans, and to foster strong relationships within the Indigenous community.”

Dating back to 2013, Sept. 30 has been called Orange Shirt Day in recognition of survivors of Canada’s Indian Residential School System and their families.

“We are proud to announce our continued partnership with the BC Lions in support of Orange Shirt Day, an initiative dedicated to honouring survivors of the Indian Residential School system and raising awareness about the ongoing impacts of these institutions,” said Shannon Henderson, Orange Shirt Society president.

“The BC Lions have been leaders in this space, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to Truth and Reconciliation through their impactful community engagement and awareness campaigns.”

 



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news for Surrey Now-Leader and Black Press Media
Read more