Roots partners with accomplished entrepreneur and acclaimed author Emma Knight
to release a limited-edition collaboration collection. Roots will donate a portion
of proceeds from the Collection to Girls E-Mentorship organization ( "GEM")

TORONTO, March 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Roots ("Roots," "Roots Canada" or the "Company") (TSX: ROOT), a premium outdoor-lifestyle brand, partnered with award-winning entrepreneur, national best-selling author, wife and mother-of-two, Emma Knight to release Roots x Emma Knight, a limited-edition collaboration collection in honour of International Women's Day. Roots will donate a portion of proceeds from the Collection to GEM, a program developed for girls by girls, to help overcome barriers in the transition to adulthood.

Roots x Emma Knight, International Women's Day 2021 limited-edition collaboration collection (CNW Group/Roots Corporation)

"I am honoured to work with a brand I so admire on this unique collection for International Women's Day," said Emma Knight. "In a year when women's participation in the workforce has slid back significantly, it is important to remember that lasting change takes intergenerational effort. GEM supports this effort by building bridges across generations and reducing barriers to opportunity through mentorship. I am excited to partner with them on this project and as a mentor."

The Roots x Emma Knight collaboration celebrates female strength, empowerment and leadership and takes a purposeful #ChooseToChallenge approach towards outdated definitions of femininity. Inspired by Emma's time working and living in Paris, France, the Collection features French phrases and their English translations, showcasing powerful words that are grammatically feminine, yet are rarely considered synonymous with femininity. Available at www.roots.com starting March 1, 2021, the Roots x Emma Knight collection includes an organic cotton tote, a made-in-Canada t-shirt and a leather wristlet.

"As an iconic Canadian brand and a female-led, publicly-listed company on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Roots is committed to doing its part to help narrow the gender equality gap," said Meghan Roach, President and CEO, Roots. "The development and empowerment of our youth play an important role in creating the next generation of women leaders. Mentorship and sponsorship also remain essential to giving young women the tools and support they need, as they grow in their careers and life. Through our collaboration with Emma, we are seeking to honour female strength and perseverance, and I am thrilled to be supporting GEM with the collection. As a mother of two young girls, I am also looking forward to being a mentor in the program."

Roots will donate a portion of proceeds from both the Roots x Emma collection and its March made-in-Canada mask sales to GEM. As an organization dedicated to creating mentorship opportunities for girls, GEM helps the next generation of woman leaders develop professional skills, pursue higher education and build successful career paths. Roots President and CEO, Meghan Roach, and collection collaborator, Emma Knight, are joining the organization as volunteer mentors.

"We believe that women mentoring girls is essential in fostering the success of the next-generation and critical to creating gender equity in Canada," said Rochelle de Goias-Jackman, GEM Founder and Co-chair. "We are excited to be working with Roots and to be welcoming incredibly accomplished and inspiring mentors, Meghan and Emma, to our program."

Roots is committed to doing the work, taking meaningful action, and being accountable in all aspects of Diversity, Equality, Equity and Inclusion ("DEEI"). To read more about Roots initiatives in support of DEEI, please follow the link.

About Roots

Established in 1973, Roots is a premium outdoor-lifestyle brand. We unite the best of cabin and city through unmistakable style built with uncompromising comfort and quality. We offer a broad range of products designed for life's everyday adventures, including women's and men's apparel, leather goods, footwear, accessories, and kids, toddler and baby apparel. Starting from a little cabin in Algonquin Park, Canada, Roots has grown to become a global brand. As of October 31, 2020, we operated 113 corporate-retail stores in Canada, two corporate-retail stores in the United States, 116 partner-operated stores in Taiwan, 28 partner-operated stores in China, two partner-operated stores in Hong Kong and a global eCommerce platform, roots.com. Roots Corporation is a Canadian corporation doing business as "Roots" and "Roots Canada".

About Emma Knight

Emma is a co-founder of Greenhouse, a Toronto-based beverage company whose mission is to offer widespread, sustainable access to plant-based nutrition of the highest quality. She is the company's director of brand and marketing and a co-author of The Greenhouse Cookbook, a national bestseller. Her second book, How to Eat with One Hand, will be released with Penguin Random House in April 2021.

Prior to Greenhouse's launch, Emma was based in Paris, where she worked for The New York Times Company and The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. Emma's writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, The Daily Journal and The Argentina Independent.

About GEM (Girls E-Mentorship)

Founded in 2012, GEM is a mentorship program designed to assist high school girls in overcoming barriers as they transition into adulthood. GEM offers a research-based mentorship program for high school girls facing socioeconomic barriers to build their professional skills and achieve their academic and career potential. To learn more and support, visit girlsementorship.com 

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information in this press release contains forward-looking information. This information is based on management's reasonable assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to us and are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information as a result of various factors. Information regarding our expectations of future results, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities or the markets in which we operate is forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances. Many factors could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

See "Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's current Annual Information Form for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. Readers are urged to consider the uncertainties, risks and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. We have no intention and undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities law

SOURCE Roots Corporation

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