Photo © Courtesy of Canadian Transplant Association
On April 7, you may notice more people wearing green than normal. It is not a fashion trend. It is Green Shirt Day, serving as a reminder to start a conversation that many Canadians avoid until it’s urgent: organ and tissue donation.
Today, approximately 4,400 Canadians are waiting for a lifesaving organ or tissue transplant. Unfortunately, an average of 250 Canadians die each year while waiting, simply because the gift they need does not arrive in time.
While most Canadians support donation in principle, a gap remains between belief and action. Public opinion data shows 90 per cent of Canadians approve of organ and tissue donation, yet only 32 per cent say they have registered their decision. Green Shirt Day is designed to close that gap by turning quiet support into a clear plan.
What Organ & Tissue Donation Actually Is
Organ donation can happen in two ways. Living donation allows a person to donate certain organs, most commonly a kidney or a portion of their liver, to someone who needs a transplant. Deceased donation happens when organs are donated after a person has died and transplanted to someone whose life depends on them.
Tissue donation can include corneas, skin, or bone, helping restore sight and improve comfort and mobility. A single organ donor has the potential to provide as many as eight organs for transplant, which means one decision can help more than one person.
Many people assume they would not qualify because of age or medical history. In reality, potential donors are assessed medically on a case-by-case basis, and age alone does not automatically rule anyone out.
Why April Matters: Notdam and Green Shirt Day
April puts organ and tissue donation back in the national conversation, with National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Month (NOTDAM) encouraging Canadians to learn, talk, and register. Within that month, Green Shirt Day on April 7 honours a story that changed how this country thinks about donation.
Logan Boulet was a defenceman with the Humboldt Broncos. After the 2018 bus crash, he died from his injuries on April 7. His parents chose to donate his organs, helping six people live on. Their decision sparked a wave of donor registrations across Canada known as the Logan Boulet Effect, proving how one family’s ‘yes’ can reach far beyond a single moment.
Sherbrooke 2026: A Celebration Of Life
From July 5–11, the Canadian Transplant Games in Sherbrooke, Québec, will turn the impact of yes into something you can see and cheer for. Transplant recipients, living donors, donor families, and supporters will come together for a national week of sport and community, with events ranging from swimming and athletics to cycling, road races, racquet sports, pétanque, and a sprint triathlon.
Living kidney donor Kristofer Woods says it best: “The Canadian Transplant Games is a celebration of life! To see people competing in a triathlon together, many of whom wouldn’t be with us today without the ‘yes’ of another person or family, it’s a remarkable thing to witness.”
Make Your Yes Official
Green Shirt Day starts conversations. Your registered decision completes them. Take a few minutes to register your intent, then tell your family. Learn more about the Games and how to get involved at CanadianTransplant.com
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The Canadian Transplant Association (CTA), is a 100% volunteer led registered charitable organization founded in 1987. Our community shares a unique bond and includes transplant recipients, candidates on transplant wait lists, donor families, living donors, families, friends, and health care professionals.