Pacific FC sold out of its new Indigenous artist-designed alternate jersey within hours of releasing it.

The team debuted the jerseys April 10 and plan to use them at various times through the season. The design by Coast Salish and KwakwakaB次元官网网址檞akw artist Maynard Johnny Jr. depicts a salmon and a childB次元官网网址檚 face, in a white-and-black pattern.

Johnny said the club approached him in part because of work heB次元官网网址檚 done with Hope and Health, an organization promoting health and well-being for Indigenous youth.

B次元官网网址淚f the salmon can survive predators like orca whales, and people fishing for them, and swim out 3,000 miles away and come back to where they were born and rejuvenate their species B次元官网网址� the resilience of that is just amazing,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 chose the salmon because of that resilience. It kind of reflects the Indigenous people and how resilient weB次元官网网址檝e been throughout history of Canada.B次元官网网址�

He was happy to see the jersey so well-received by the community and hopes itB次元官网网址檚 an opportunity for Pacific FC, their fans and other teams and leagues to learn about and further reconciliation efforts.

B次元官网网址淚n order for us to move forward and heal, there has to be an understanding of what was done. ThereB次元官网网址檚 got to be acknowledgment, there has to be responsibility taken for when something happens to anybody in order for you to heal. That has to happen. Being the first organized professional team to do something like this, itB次元官网网址檚 not a one-off, one-day or one-night special.B次元官网网址�

The club sold 258 jerseys on launch, completely selling out, and have 423 on pre-order for when the next shipment arrives.

B次元官网网址淲e are thrilled with the response to this jersey, as it is an important part of our work with local Indigenous communities and the more we sell, the more money goes to charity. In addition to them selling quickly we saw an overwhelmingly positive response online from here to Europe and beyond,B次元官网网址� Pacific FC director of marketing Stephanie Wood said in an email.

From each jersey sale, $20 goes to two different charities chosen by Johnny: Hope and Health and the Indian Residential School Survivor Society.

He hopes more professional teams follow Pacific FCB次元官网网址檚 lead and help spread awareness of issues facing Indigenous people in Canada.

B次元官网网址淧ay it forward and educate the players and other teams that play in other organizations. ItB次元官网网址檒l keep snowballing and raising the awareness of how reconciliation should be approached and how it should be executed. ThatB次元官网网址檚 very important, especially because itB次元官网网址檚 not Indigenous people that have to reconcile, itB次元官网网址檚 actually Canada and the church, the Catholic Church has to reconcile what theyB次元官网网址檝e done.B次元官网网址�

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