Remember the orange UNICEF Halloween box? For generations of kids across Canada, it turned trick-or-treating into something bigger: a chance to help other kids around the world. That little box taught us that even spare change could make a real difference.

Now, it’s back – with a twist. UNICEF Canada and Kotn, a Canadian clothing brand committed to sustainable and eco-friendly materials, have teamed up to create a limited-edition T-shirt inspired by the iconic box. Featuring a vintage design from the 90s with a QR code to donate built in, it’s a way to turn nostalgia into real-world impact.

A person wearing the UNICEF X Kotn shirt with a vintage orange UNICEF box design on it.

Proceeds from the shirt will support UNICEF’s programs, providing safe water, nutrition, education, and safety to children in more than 190 countries and territories.

So whether you buy the shirt or donate directly, you’re helping continue Canada’s Halloween giving tradition – and putting the caring back in scaring.

The orange box, a Canadian legacy

For decades, the orange box represented a symbol of community and compassion. It gave kids across Canada their first experience in giving back, showing that even small acts of kindness could make a global impact.

In a classroom, a child dressed up as a princess, and another dressed up as a cowboy hold up orange UNICEF Halloween boxes.

At its peak, the Halloween box raised over $3 million annually, powered by elementary schools and volunteers who collected coins, rolled them, and delivered them to banks across the country.

Why your support matters

From conflicts to crises to climate change, children face incredible threats to their survival and well-being like never before. With your support, UNICEF can continue to be there, delivering life-saving aid and long-term support, including:

  • Helping children recover from severe acute malnutrition by providing them with life-saving therapeutic food;
  • Protecting children in conflicts and crises with emergency supplies, clean water and shelter;
  • Keeping children in school and helping them reach their full potential.