Giant Tiger Stores Ltd. has launched its third-year partnership with the national Indigenous charity Indspire, featuring an exclusive orange shirt designed by two-spirit Ojibwe artist Patrick Hunter.
The shirt, created to raise awareness for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is now available at select Giant Tiger stores and on GiantTiger.com, with 100 per cent of the proceeds donated to Indspire’s Learning from the Past Fund.
“When creating the new artwork for the shirt, I drew inspiration from the quote, ‘They buried us, but they didn’t know we were seeds’,” says Hunter. “The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation addresses difficult conversations, and I feel we’ve come a long way. Canadians are now starting to recognize the accomplishments of First Nations people. In the past, our story was often linked with trauma but, today, a deeper understanding and awareness is growing through knowledge.”
Nearly $1 million raised
The initiative is part of Giant Tiger’s ongoing commitment to supporting Indigenous students. The collaboration has raised over $750,000 for Indspire’s Learning from the Past Fund, which provides bursaries to Indigenous post-secondary students pursuing education in Indigenous studies and languages.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Indspire and the incredibly talented Patrick Hunter to create a one-of-a-kind shirt and raise funds for Indigenous post-secondary students,” says Gabrielle Hargrove, senior vice president and HR officer at Giant Tiger. “At Giant Tiger, we are committed to doing what’s right for our customers, and we are proud of our partnership with Indspire and the meaningful discussions it fosters.”
Mike DeGagné, Indspire’s president and CEO, added that the campaign promotes the importance of reconciliation.
“The funds raised through this initiative not only provide critical support to Indigenous students pursuing post-secondary education but also foster a deeper understanding and respect for Indigenous cultures across Canada. This campaign is a testament to the power of unity in promoting education and reconciliation,” says DeGagné.
