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CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE:
POWER COUPLES
WITH A CAUSE
DO COUPLES WHO GIVE TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER?
These power duos say yes! From donating to coronavirus relief efforts, to supporting equality initiatives, celebrity couples are sharing their advocacy from all over the world.
RYAN REYNOLDS AND BLAKE LIVELY ADVOCATE FOR CANADIAN COMMUNITIES Ryan Reynolds has partnered with winter clothing brand Canada Goose to deliver parkas to Inuit schoolchildren living in the Arctic Circle. The Canadian actor noticed that students attending Inuujaq School in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, Canada, were short of clothing supplies. He took it upon himself to speak to bosses of the parka brand to provide them with winter gear. They then upped his donation of parkas and Baffin footwear to ensure 300 children will stay warm when they head to school. 12
“It came to my attention students at Inuujaq School in Arctic Bay were going without adequate winter clothing,” the Deadpool star said in a statement, reports WWD. “Of course, it highlights a larger issue of basic needs going unmet in Canada’s northern communities. I reached out to Canada Goose to match me in providing these students with essential winter gear. They not only said yes in under 30 seconds but went so far above and beyond matching me. I’m deeply inspired and grateful.” The firm is also partnering with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national representational organization for Inuit people in Canada, to donate thousands of repurposed parkas to other Arctic communities. Gregg Durrant, principal at Inuujaq School,
thanked Ryan and Canada Goose for their donations. “Living in a northern community, access to almost everything is limited, and the impact of COVID-19 has accentuated this,” he praised. “We are so appreciative of the warmth Ryan and Canada Goose have shown our students. Their gift will be remembered for years to come.” The couple also made a significant donation to St. Francis Xavier University’s Coady Institute in Nova Scotia, Canada, for their new initiative, the Circle of Abundance, to amplify Indigenous women’s voices and leadership. In a statement, the couple said: “We’re so happy to support the incredible work of the Coady Institute’s program with Indigenous Women. We’re blown away by the conversations we’ve had and the work they do and look forward to joining them on this journey.”
