18,000 Young People Will Honour Gord Downie's Lega

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This morning at approximately 9:30 a.m. PT over 18,000 young people will come together to honour Gord Downie’s legacy with a moment of silence at WE Day Vancouver. The youth empowerment event will pay tribute to Gord Downie, his commitment to reconciliation, and his work through The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund.

Gord Downie’s words are a lasting and important challenge that we have much work to do.  "I believe that each of us has a unique story to tell, and am honoured to have the opportunity to share a meaningful message with thousands of young Canadians and their families, who like me, believe that change is possible,” said Downie, speaking to thousands of people at WE Day Toronto, October 2016. "Today’s youth have the power to build a stronger nation—they have the potential to be a generation of leaders who lead us on a path toward change.”

Gord Downie shared his message of reconciliation with tens of thousands of young Canadians by offering his time to WE Day stages across Canada in 2016 and 2017. Gord performed a song from his Secret Path project, a grouping of tracks paired with a graphic novel inspired by the story of Indigenous youth Chanie Wenjack, in support of The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund. Gord also took to the WE Day Canada stage on Parliament Hill on July 2, 2017, and was surprised by a 100 person youth choir, who shared a moving performance of Downie’s Secret Path, bringing him, and thousands in attendance, to tears. Gord’s hope for building a more caring and compassionate future Canada is part of his significant legacy.  

Gord Downie moment of silence and tribute: Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 Time: approximately 9:30 a.m. PDT Location: WE Day Vancouver, Rogers Arena, Gate 10 (Expo Blvd) 800 Griffiths Way, Vancouver, BC V6B 6G1

Media are invited to attend and capture the moving moment live on stage – please arrive at Gate 10 for media accreditation. Limited live lines are available for use (but be used in conjunction with a wireless backpack device)

Media Contact: Kendra Thompson, 1-647-607-9564

Photos and broll of Gord Downie at WE Day events:

• Photos of Gord Downie at WE Day Toronto , October 16, 2016, Air Canada Centre, Toronto
• Photos of Gord Downie at WE Day Canada , July 2, 2017, Parliament Hill, Ottawa

• Photos of Gord Downie at WE Day Toronto , October 16, 2016, Air Canada Centre, Toronto
• Gord Downie on stage at WE Day Canada, with 100 person youth choir , July 2 2017, Parliament Hill, Ottawa
• Gord Downie and Pearl Wenjack at WE Day Canada , July 2, 2017, Parliament Hill, Ottawa
• Gord Downie at WE Day Toronto, performing Secret Path in front of 20,000 young people , October 16, 2016, Air Canada Centre, Toronto
• Special Video – exclusive to WE Day – Gord Downie on reconciliation – filmed at WE Day Toronto, 2016 (ACC)

About WE Day WE Day is part of WE - a family of organizations making doing good, doable. WE is made up of WE Charity, empowering domestic and international change, ME to WE, a social enterprise that creates socially conscious products and experiences to help support the charity, and WE Day, filling stadiums around the world with the greatest celebration of social good. WE enables youth and families to better the world – supporting 2,500+ local and global causes by volunteering millions of hours of service, shopping daily with an impact, and raising millions of dollars that directly benefit their local communities and the world. Globally, our teams in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have provided more than 1 million people with clean water, built 1,000 schools and schoolrooms overseas, and empowered more than 200,000 children with access to education. WE was founded more than 20 years ago by social entrepreneurs, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger. Join the movement today at WE.org .