Bombers, Riders to wear orange warmup jerseys for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders will wear orange jerseys during warmup before their game on Friday at IG Field in honour of Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

“As we reflect on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we hope that these jerseys will serve as a small symbol of our commitment to reconciliation and the work we’ve done and will continue to do moving forward as allies of the Indigenous community,” said Riders’ president and CEO Craig Reynolds in a press release.

The Blue Bombers will make their warmup jerseys available for purchase through an online auction with funds raised being donated to the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC). They will also wear the star blanket-themed logo designed by Anishinaabe artist Dené Sinclair on their helmets (pictured) during the game.

The Riders plan to raffle off their orange jerseys to raise funds for Indigenous sports programs in Saskatchewan as well as special events in Indigenous communities. Other prizes will also be available in the raffle, including gift cards and community suite tickets for next season.

1,000 members of the Indigenous community will be flown in for the game and the pregame anthem will be sung in Ojibwe by Strong Warrior Girls Anishinaabe Singers. The Blue Bombers will also be led onto the field before kickoff by pow wow singers, dancers, and drummers.

The halftime show on Friday will feature Norman Chief Memorial dancers, while leaders from the Indigenous community will take part in the coin toss and four language and culture advocates will be honoured during the game.

The orange jerseys will be unveiled in Winnipeg on Thursday afternoon. The Blue Bombers and Edmonton Elks wore orange jerseys during the warmup of last year’s Truth and Reconciliation game on Oct. 8, 2021, pictured below.

Photo: Nik Kowalski/3DownNation. All rights reserved.