Putting the Caring Back in Scaring: UNICEF Canada's Halloween Comeback
Limited-edition KOTN t-shirt reimagines the iconic orange UNICEF box to turn
nostalgia into impact
TORONTO, Oct. 8, 2025 /CNW/ - UNICEF Canada is putting the caring back in scaring this Halloween by reviving an iconic spooky staple: the orange UNICEF Box. In collaboration with apparel brand Kotn, UNICEF Canada is launching a limited-edition Halloween Box t-shirt featuring a throwback design and a built-in QR code to donate, inviting others to keep Canada's tradition of Halloween giving alive.
For generations, the orange box wasn't just a Halloween accessory, it represented a symbol of community and compassion, turning a night focused on candy into a night of giving. This October, the t-shirt invites parents to relive that tradition and pass it on to their own trick-or-treaters. The built-in QR code means neighbours, friends and family can donate in seconds and transform every candy stop into a moment of impact.
"Millions of Canadians grew up carrying that iconic orange box on Halloween, knowing they were making meaningful change for children around the world. The coins they collected may have been small, but the impact was phenomenal," said Sevaun Palvetzian, President & CEO, UNICEF Canada. "The history of Halloween in Canada is more than candy and costumes. It's also about protecting the most vulnerable children everywhere. This year, that legacy is back."
A Crucial Time to Give
Proceeds from the sale of the UNICEF Halloween Box t-shirt will help fund UNICEF programs across the globe, providing education, safe water, vaccines, healthcare and more to children who need it most.
This comes at a time where the needs of children have never been greater. It's estimated that more than 213 million children in 146 counties and territories require humanitarian assistance. Hard-earned gains and future progress for children are also currently at risk because of a global funding crisis. Recent updates from UNICEF estimate that at least 14 million children could face disruptions to critical nutrition services in 2025 and as many as 6 million children could be forced out of school by 2026 due to funding cuts.
The UNICEF Halloween Box t-shirt is a simple yet powerful way for Canadians to show their support for children around the world and help power UNICEF's work.
The Orange Box, A Canadian Legacy
UNICEF has been tracking a growing sense of cultural nostalgia for the simple childhood traditions of pillowcase treat bags, cat ears, and trick or treat moments that meant something. Nothing perhaps feels more nostalgic, or more meaningful, in Canadian culture than the UNICEF box, conjuring a re-imagined, beloved box and inspiring an annual holiday tradition around giving.
The orange box program is at the heart of the UNICEF Canada story. A hallmark of Halloween in Canada for decades, the box was powered largely through elementary schools and supported by volunteers who picked up coins, rolled them, and deposited them to banks across the country. At its peak, the Halloween box helped raise $3 million annually to support UNICEF's efforts to provide children around the world access to education, nutrition, health care, clean water and more.
How to Purchase
The limited-edition UNICEF Halloween Box t-shirt is available here. All net proceeds support UNICEF's work to protect and empower children worldwide. Consumers are also welcome to make a direct donation at unicef.ca.
About UNICEF Canada: UNICEF is the world's farthest-reaching humanitarian organization for children. They work in more than 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. For over 75 years, UNICEF has delivered life-saving aid in the world's most complex situations. UNICEF Canada is the national committee tasked with fundraising and advocacy to advance children's rights globally.
About Kotn: On a mission to change how things are made. Better for the people, better for the planet. Our products are made with the principles of considered design, relentless quality, honest value, and positive impact.
Imagery Available here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18VwgDuuTQ8yRAM-jBj9Kc_lyawthUf6A
SOURCE UNICEF Canada
Press Contacts: Tom Suiter, Public Inc., [email protected]; Jeff Junke, UNICEF Canada, [email protected]
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