Blue Jays Honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at the Ballpark

The Toronto Blue Jays and Jays Care Foundation are proud to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at Rogers Centre on Friday, Sept. 30, as the Blue Jays play the Boston Red Sox at 7:07 p.m. ET.

Joining the Blue Jays for pre and in-game recognitions are Survivors of the residential school system and their families and community members. In addition, the Blue Jays welcome 250 children from Indigenous Rookie League Jays Care programming, including members of the Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services program and athletes and coaches from the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council program’s winning team from the Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation.

The Blue Jays are honoured to be joined by Dolores (McLeod) Naponse from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and a Survivor of the Spanish Residential School. Dolores is a long-time Blue Jays fan and an active supporter of Jays Care Indigenous Rookie League programming, where her grandsons, Jeffrey and Keewehtn, also play. Dolores will be throwing the ceremonial first pitch with her grandsons by her side and cheered on by her Maamwesying Indigenous Rookie League community, 200 of whom are attending the game.

In recognition of the more than 70 Indigenous languages spoken across Turtle Island, Tsuaki Marule, a professor at Red Crow Community College from the Blood Tribe in Southern Alberta, will perform the Canadian anthem in Blackfoot, English, and French.

To honour Survivors and all the lives impacted by the residential school system, Blue Jays employees will be wearing orange “Every Child Matters” shirts and orange t-shirt pins, and the Survivors’ Flag will be featured prominently throughout the stadium.

Jays Care Community Giveback

Jays Care Foundation is donating $150,000 to Indigenous-led organizations, in support of their vital work for Survivors and their families, including:

Jays Care and the Blue Jays are honoured to work with and learn from more than 120 partners across the country who are committed to co-designing and implementing programming for more than 5,500 Indigenous children and youth. This year, more than $1.5 million was committed to programming in Indigenous communities, including Indigenous Rookie League, a multi-generational baseball league that promotes healing through inter-generational connections and community collaboration.

Fans can support Jays Care programs in Indigenous communities at jayscare.com. Donations can also be made to one of the organizations listed above, benefitting Survivors and their families.