On February 29, 2012 everyone is encouraged to wear something pink to symbolize that we as a society will not tolerate bullying anywhere. Bullying comes in many forms and as kids growing up many of us have been subjected to it. We at Vancity Buzz are supporters of Pink Shirt Day and urge other Vancouverites to join us and raise awareness of this issue.
This idea comes from two incredible Nova Scotia high school students. Here is a snippet of the Globe & Mail article which inspired Pink Shirt Day:
“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school.
‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’
So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag.
As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled.
The bullies were never heard from again.”
There are a lot of way to support this cause and wearing pink on February 29, 2012 is just one of them. However, ultimately the best way to support this cause is to teach your kids, that it’s okay to be different, it’s not okay to bully or be bullied. Communicate and you will get through to them.
You can buy your Pink Shirt Day T-shirts here or at London Drugs.
Will you join in by wearing pink on February 29th? Do you have a story about being bullied, how you stopped a bully or about how bullying has affected a loved one? Share your experiences here by leaving a comment or calling me direct at (604) 331-2714.
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