It began as an effort to support one bullied teenager in Nova Scotia but today Pink Shirt Day helps thousands of youth in Canada and continues to grow.
The campaign has raised over $1.2 million for anti-bullying initiatives that directly help youth in need. Bullying has become a major problem in schools, workplaces, homes, and over the Internet. While much of the campaign’s attention has been focused on the Western Provinces, momentum is building across Canada as the message spreads.
Many Brantford and area schools and organizations took to social media to support the campaign this year.
Brantford’s Captain Kindness (@davecarrol) spent the morning at Major Ballachey School for their anti-bullying Pink Shirt Day. He tweeted that “Kindness is transforming the schools of Brantford BY good INTO good!”
The Brantford Police posted a picture of their support with the message, “All incidents of bullying are serious & need to be addressed.”
The Brantford Public Library posted a link to library resource material dealing with bullying.
The campaign has gained traction in Ontario and around the country as the message of the Pink Shirt Day website resonates with so many.
“We encourage everyone to openly express that Kindness is one size fits all. We all have the capacity to spread kindness and that is the underlying philosophy behind our anti-bullying movement: a movement we hope lives year round beyond Pink Shirt Day. After all, kindness never goes out of style.”
Pink Shirt Day began after two teens decided to take a stand against bullying. Here is a snippet of the Globe & Mail article that inspired Orphans’ Fund 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 [for wearing a pink shirt]…[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 another student headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out messages 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.”
Net proceeds from official Pink Shirt Day t-shirts, buttons, and pins are donated directly to programs supporting children’s healthy self-esteem. These programs teach children empathy, compassion and kindness towards both others and themselves.
You can make a donation on the Pink Shirt Day website or purchase a pink shirt or accessories to support the cause.
Millards joins with the many area organizations in taking a stand against bullying.
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