(Ottawa, ON) 14 septembre 2021– The Legacy of Hope Foundation is pleased to announce that Kunitz Shoes has generously decided to donate the proceeds of 215 pairs of shoes to them to support our work toward Reconciliation.

With two locations based in Edmonton, Alberta, Kunitz Shoes is a family owned and operated shoe business. Upon the recent and devastating discovery of children’s unmarked graves at Kamloops Indian Residential School, the Kunitz’s felt compelled to do something to show support in the work of Reconciliation. As a business with its founding roots in children’s shoes, the knowledge that so many Indigenous children never had a chance to reach their bright futures, is truly heartbreaking. This donation is symbolic of a hope, that by learning from the past, we as Canadians, can learn how to walk better in the future together. Creating awareness and understanding about the Residential School System, is a step towards a more hopeful future.

“We are so grateful to Kunitz Shoes for taking action to raise awareness about Indigenous history and for their contribution, which will help produce more educational resources. Together we are fostering Reconciliation in Canada,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel for the Legacy of Hope Foundation.

The LHF has been in operation for more than 21-years as a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential School System, Sixties Scoop, Day Schools and other colonial acts of oppression on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis) Peoples.

The LHF has 25 exhibitions that are available for loan for free. One recent exhibition, Escaping Residential Schools: Running for their Lives, is now available through an animated virtual video, along with the Survivors’ Oral Testimonies. The exhibition examines the experience of Survivors of the Residential School System and raises awareness on the impacts it has on our communities. For more information on the project, please visit: http://legacyofhope.ca/project/escapingrs/ La FAE travaille à la mise en ligne de ses autres expositions.

La Fondation possède également des programmes d'enseignement de la maternelle à la 12e année et pour les adultes, ainsi que des guides d'activités visant à sensibiliser les Canadiens à l'histoire autochtone et à l'histoire commune des pensionnats indiens, de la Rafle des années 60, des femmes et des filles autochtones disparues ou assassinées et des écoles de jour. La FAE travaille à développer l'empathie et la compréhension afin d'éliminer le racisme et de favoriser la Réconciliation au Canada. Pour acheter une ressource, un T-shirt orange ou faire un don à la FAE, ou pour plus d'informations sur la FAE, veuillez visiter le www.legacyofhope.ca.Notre numéro d'organisme de bienfaisance est le 863471520RR0001.