Bombers orange jerseys fundraiser to support Aboriginal Sport Achievement centre

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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers continue to take an active role in the reconciliation part of Truth and Reconciliation.

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As such, they will host their fourth annual Orange Shirt Game when they host the Edmonton Elks in a CFL game at Princess Auto Stadium on Friday.

“I cannot put into words how much this means to our people in recognizing the number of missing children and the residential school survivors,” Grand Chief Garrison Settee said at Monday’s press conference held on the stadium turf. “It is healing to us when people support us. As we move on in our healing journey, this is a very significant part of that. Reconciliation is not just a word, it is action, and that is what (Exchange Income Corporation) and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have done.

“The Blue Bombers have helped us move on by recognizing this very special day and bringing in these kids from all over the north is also very significant. This is an opportunity of a lifetime.”

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The EIC will fly in about 1,000 kids and disadvantaged youth and their families who will wear orange and fill one section of the stadium.

“We wanted to be active in (reconciliation) and we’ve done that,” said Wade Miller, president/CEO of the Winnipeg Football Club. “We were the first professional team in North America to have a land acknowledgement, which we do before each game. That’s part of it and the Orange Shirt Game is the next step forward.”

Players on both teams will wear orange jerseys during the pre-game warmup. Those jerseys are already on sale through an online auction. The Bombers will also recognize the Red River Metis with patches on the players’ jerseys, Miller said.

The funds raised from the auction will be donated to the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre after it received $50,000 from it last year. The Bombers are hoping to raise at least that much this go-round, Miller said.

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“This game has truly become one of our marquee games every year,” he said. “It just continues to grow every year. We’ll have a sellout by (Tuesday) and, you know, this is the only time of year that we’re good with seeing orange in our stadium, and we’ll see it (Friday).”

Each CFL team will wear Indigenous-designed logos to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this weekend, following both the Bombers’ and B.C. Lions’ initiatives.

“In addition to this, we’ve added a pilot training program to the plan,” said EIC CEO Mike Pyle. “We’re very proud that (Tuesday), we’re graduating a class of First Nations pilots, all of whom are going to get job offers to fly with our airlines in Manitoba.”

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