Orange Shirt Society and Tolko Industries announce 2022 Orange Shirt Day design winner
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. – Grade 11 student Geraldine Catalbas from Ponoka, Alberta, is this year’s winner of the Official 2022 Orange Shirt Day Design.
Geraldine’s design honours the children who lost their lives in Residential Schools and reflects the impacts of their deaths and the Survivor’s triumphs. The shoes represent the children who died in Residential Schools, while the shoelaces, transforming into an eagle, symbolize their freedom in the heavens and fight through difficult times.
“We want Orange Shirt Day to be about the cause – the tragedy of Residential Schools and the ongoing intergenerational trauma many Indigenous peoples experience. Supporting Reconciliation is more than wearing an orange shirt,” explains Melissa Lundy, Program Manager for the Orange Shirt Society. “It is learning the truth, remembering the children who lost their lives, and supporting the future generations.”
Geraldine’s design was chosen from entries submitted from across Canada. Geraldine will receive a $200 prize and travel fare to meet Phyllis Webstad on Orange Shirt Day 2022 (depending on COVID-19 restrictions).
Annually, Indigenous and non-Indigenous children across Canada from Kindergarten to Grade 12 can submit a design for the official Orange Shirt Day Contest. All youth are encouraged to participate in conversations about Residential Schools by highlighting what the design means to them. The winner will receive a cash prize from Tolko Industries Ltd. and be flown to meet Phyllis Webstad on Orange Shirt Day to continue the conversation about Reconciliation.
The designs created for the Orange Shirt Society to use for Orange Shirt Day shirts will be copyrighted and owned by the Orange Shirt Society. Credit will always be given to the artists who create each design including this year’s design and all previous designs. For all inquiries about using this design, please contact Melissa Lundy at programming@orangeshirtday.org.
About Orange Shirt Society:
The Orange Shirt Society is a non-profit organization with its home in Williams Lake, B.C. where Orange Shirt Day began in 2013. The purpose of our society is to support residential school Reconciliation; to create awareness of the individual, family, and community intergenerational impacts of residential schools through Orange Shirt Society activities; and to create awareness of the concept of “Every Child Matters.” For more information, visit orangeshirtday.org.
About Tolko Industries Ltd.:
Tolko is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of forest products for customers around the world, including lumber, plywood and veneer-oriented strand board co-products, biomass power, and a growing number of specialty wood products. For more than 60 years, this family-owned company has delivered reliability, flexibility, efficiency, and quality. Tolko holds third-party certification on the forestlands (sustainably managed) in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, and plays an active role in the communities their employees live and work. For more information, visit tolko.com.
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Media Contacts:
Melissa Lundy, Program Manager
Orange Shirt Society
403-819-6777
programming@orangeshirtday.org
Chris Downey, Communications Advisor
Tolko Industries Ltd.
250-306-0929
Chris.Downey@tolko.com