Orange Shirt Society & Tolko announce annual Orange Shirt Day art contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Orange Shirt Society and Tolko Industries Ltd. (Tolko) are pleased to announce the Society’s annual Orange Shirt Day art contest. The Orange Shirt Society holds a contest each year, open to all K to 12 students across Canada in which the winning entry becomes the official Orange Shirt Day design for that year. The winner will receive $200 and an in-person visit with Phyllis Webstad on Orange Shirt Day, if travel is deemed safe.

“Kukstemcw, thank you, Tolko for sponsoring our annual orange shirt art contest”, said Phyllis Webstad, Orange Shirt Society Ambassador and Founder. “Because of our partnership with Tolko, I am excited that I can now meet the winner on Orange Shirt Day every year!”

Jerome Beauchamp, Orange Shirt Society President said, “Tolko’s contribution to the t-shirt contest is outstanding and telling of their commitment to Indigenous communities, supporting education about residential school impacts, and the belief that ‘Every Child Matters’.”

“We are honoured to be able to continue our support to the Orange Shirt Society in sharing this message with youth, and all Canadians, as we make the journey together on Indigenous reconciliation,” said Bob Fleet, VP Environment and Forestry, Tolko Industries.

The 2022 contest is now open, and entries must be received by 9 pm November 10, 2021. For contest rules and entry form, please visit www.orangeshirtday.org.

For more information, contact Orange Shirt Society at info@orangeshirtday.org.

 – 30 –

About Tolko

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, our family-owned company has delivered reliability, efficiency, and quality. We hold third-party certification on the forestlands we sustainably manage in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, and we play an active role in the communities where our employees live and work. For more information, visit: www.tolko.com.

About Orange Shirt Society

The Orange Shirt Society was formed in Williams Lake by the founders of Orange Shirt Day to encourage and support communities to recognize Orange Shirt Day and to support reconciliation events and activities. Their goal is to create awareness of the individual, family, and community inter-generational impacts of Indian Residential Schools through Orange Shirt Day activities, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”. To learn more, visit: www.orangeshirtday.org.