Supporting organ donation and the gift of life
March 28, 2019
A year ago on April 6th, 2018, Canadians were shocked and heartbroken to hear the news of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. There were a total of 29 passengers on Charlie’s Charters bus. Of those 29 passengers 16 lost their lives, and 13 will have to live with the physical and emotional scars of that day for the rest of their lives.
With this tragedy comes a miracle, that miracle is Logan Boulet. Logan Boulet was only 21 years old, from Lethbridge, Alberta playing hockey for the Humboldt Broncos. Logan succumbed to his injuries the day after the crash on April 7th. Without hesitation his parents, Bernadine and Toby Boulet, offered to donate his organs. Logan had told his parents that on his 21st birthday he was registering to become an organ donor. This was inspired by his summer fitness coach and mentor Ric Suggitt, another Lethbridge local who passed suddenly a year prior, and was also an organ donor. Between Ric and Logan 12 people have been given the gift of life.
What happened following Logan’s selfless act erupted across the nation and became known as the “The Logan Boulet Effect”: a movement that encouraged a record number of Canadians to sign up to become organ donors and to have the talk with their families about their wishes to donate.
“Green Shirt Day” hopes to honour, remember, and recognize all the victims and families of that fatal crash, and to continue Logan’s legacy, by inspiring Canadians to talk to their families and register as organ donors. On Monday April 8th, United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative (UFA) Farm & Ranch Supply stores and Petroleum Agencies will show support for Green Shirt Day. We encourage all UFA employees and petroleum agents to take part in honouring the Humboldt Broncos by wearing green that day and we invite our members to do the same. Our Co-operative will also be donating $1,000 to Green Shirt Day, to help inspire one another to register as donors, and to discuss organ and tissue donation.
The need for blood, organ and tissue donation is great. By registering to donate you could:
- save as many as eight lives
- improve the quality of life for up to 75 people
- benefit countless families and loved ones of those in need
For more information on becoming an organ or tissue donor, or to sign up online, please visit MyHealth.Alberta.ca. Read more about Green Shirt Day and see how you can carry on Logan Boulet’s Legacy here. #GiftOfLlife
Thank you,
Carol Kitchen and Kevin Hoppins
President and CEO, and Board Chair,
United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Ltd.
